


bad liar

by shahha



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-11-18 11:58:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 70,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11290275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shahha/pseuds/shahha
Summary: Ali is the principal at Oakwood High School. She loves her job, her staff, and the students. When Ashlyn is hired as the new math teacher, Ali has to hide her feelings for her or risk putting her job on the line.





	1. play it coy

 

Ali would be lying if she said she’s not immediately attracted to her school’s new math teacher. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t feel slightly weak at the knees after their first meeting or if she said that she didn't feel an instant connection to the other woman. She’s never been a good liar before but as Ashlyn’s new boss, there’s no better time to practice her skills.

 

Ali has been the principal of Oakwood High School for two years and Ashlyn was just hired by the school board as the new algebra I teacher after a retirement. As her new boss, having feelings for Ashlyn simply isn’t an option.  There are district rules against such relationships and besides, things can get really messy really quickly. Needless to say, Ali needs to keep herself in check lest she put both of their jobs on the line.

 

“You okay?” Ashlyn questions, catching Ali lost in thought.

 

“Just trying to remember what room we’re gonna put you in; we switched some things around for the upcoming year,” Ali says.

 

And there it is. Her first lie regarding Ashlyn though it certainly isn’t the last. She doesn't know it yet, of course, but it's simply the first of many lies she’ll tell over the next year.

 

Ali shows Ashlyn to her classroom, which Ashlyn seems to love because it’s in what Ali promises is a quiet area of the school without too much traffic. Ashlyn meanders around her new classroom and checks everything out as Ali takes up perch on Ashlyn’s desk at the front of the room.

 

“So I saw in the folder the district sent that you used to teach in Arizona. What brought you here to Orlando?” Ali questions.

 

Ashlyn turns to look at her new boss. “It’s closer to family,” she says. “I went to college at UNC and when I graduated, I took the first job I could get which happened to be in Arizona. It wasn’t necessarily bad but I was pretty eager to leave and find somewhere closer to home. It's been ten years since I moved away and it felt like a good time to come back home, you know?”

 

“I can understand that,” Ali replies. “I’m originally from D.C. and I found work here after I completed my Master’s and I never left. I still miss home but I love this school so I stay.”

 

“You’re pretty young for a principal,” Ashlyn notes.

 

Ali shrugs her shoulders. “I guess it was a combination of being good at what I do and being in the right place at the right time. I started teaching here right out of college then became vice principal here for a few years and probably would’ve stayed at that level for a while but our old principal had a pretty massive heart attack and had to retire.” She watches as Ashlyn moves around the room, checking out her new surroundings.

 

“Man, this place could use some personal touches,” Ashlyn comments.

 

“Tell me about it,” Ali laughs. “First thing I do every year is put photos on my desk. Makes it feel so much more personal and comfortable.”

 

“I have a few framed ones in my bag,” Ashlyn says, pointing to the tote bag she’d set on her new desk chair.

 

“Oh yeah? Of whom?” Part of Ali is genuinely curious about Ashlyn and her life (it’s always good to know the people teaching the students you’re responsible for)  and part of her is shamelessly fishing to find out if Ashlyn is seeing someone.

 

“I’ll show you,” Ashlyn grins. She moves to reach her bag on the desk chair, muttering an apology as she accidentally brushes Ali’s legs as she passes where she’s perched on the desk.

 

The first photo shows Ashlyn and her grandmother, who she explains is one of the biggest influences in her life. Ashlyn is adamant that she wouldn’t have made anything of herself if it weren’t for her grandmother’s guidance and she’s immensely grateful to have that kind of support in her life. The second photo is of Ashlyn, her parents, and her brother. “It was taken a few years ago on my 25th birthday,” Ashlyn explains. “My parents have been divorced for a long time but, luckily, they’re pretty civil now.” She sets that picture frame right next to the one with her grandmother near the back corner of the desk. When she sees the third photo, however, she grows bashful. “Shit, I didn’t realize this one was still in my bag.”

 

“Who’s that?” Ali asks. She looks curiously at the photo of Ashlyn and a striking woman with curly dirty blonde hair.

 

“Uh, my ex,” Ashlyn replies. “We were pretty serious but not serious enough for her to follow me here or to try the long distance thing. We decided to go our separate ways after I accepted the offer here.”

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. That must have been difficult.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “It was mutual and, honestly, if it was meant to be, one of us would’ve fought for the other. It probably would have ended eventually and this was at least mostly painless. What about you? Who’s on your desk?”

 

“There’s one of me and my brother, he’s my best friend, and there’s one of me and my mom and one of me and my dad. They’re divorced too. My mom and my step dad actually live in Miami so at least I have some family within a reasonable driving distance.”

 

“No random pictures of you and your ex?” Ashlyn asks, playfully waving the last photo in her hands.

 

“No, no, I get rid of ex pictures pretty quickly. Don’t need bad memories hanging around too long.”

 

“Well at least one of us has their head on straight.”

 

Ali pretends to pout a little. “Come on now, what did I do to you to deserve to be called straight?” she teases. Much to her dismay, most people assume she’s straight (not that that’s what Ashlyn meant but still) so she's constantly hinting about or outright declaring her sexuality. Especially when she’s at work, she’s pretty traditionally femme with dresses and pencil skirts and nice blouses. She’s a little more casual and sporty on her downtime but even then, heteronormativity is such that no one ever really guesses that she’s anything other than straight. Just north of 30 years old, Ali is pretty sick of it and at least she knows she can joke about it with Ashlyn.

 

“Is that why you were staring so hard earlier?”

 

Ali scrunches her face up in embarrassment. “Guess I need to work on my poker face, huh?” she asks, eliciting a laugh from Ashlyn.

 

“Really, I didn’t mind. And for the record, you’re pretty stare worthy yourself.”

 

Until this point, there’s been an ease to their conversation as they flowed from one topic to the next. Now, however, Ali doesn’t quite know what to say and sits there in silence for a few minutes as Ashlyn gets some of her things situated. Finally, Ali remembers something she was supposed to talk to Ashlyn about.

 

“Oh, hey, this Saturday I’m having the annual end of summer teacher and staff party at my house. It’s kind of a tradition here for the principal to host an end of summer party so obviously I took it over when I got the position. It’s always pretty fun and not to brag but it seems to get better every year since I became principal. I have a pool and everything. I loved it when I was a new teacher because I got to know everyone else before school started and, yeah, it's just a good time,” Ali rambles.

 

“That sounds great,” Ashlyn replies, grinning. “My number should be in your file so just text me the details and I’ll be there.”

 

“Awesome,” Ali grins. “Anyway, I have to get going. The new art teacher should be here soon.”

 

“Nice meeting you,” Ashlyn replies as Ali hops off of her desk and makes her way to the door. She shamelessly stares at Ali’s ass in her tight skirt as she walks. “It’s gonna be great working with you,” she adds.

 

“Likewise,” Ali says, spinning around and flashing Ashlyn one last smile. “See you Saturday.”

 

~

 

Ali spends the rest of the week finalizing plans for the party and suppressing thoughts of the new math teacher. Suffice to say, the former is much easier than the latter and many of her decisions for the party come down to what she imagines Ashlyn would like better. Even on the day of the party, she selects the sexist swimsuit she’d ever allow herself to wear at a work party with Ashlyn in mind. She throws on a simple black and grey striped t-shirt dress over her bathing suit and heads back to the kitchen to get the food set up in anticipation of her guests’ arrival.

 

Naturally, the first person to arrive is Heather, Oakwood’s vice principal and one of Ali’s closest friends. They came up through the teaching ranks together so when Ali was promoted to principal and was asked to nominate five teachers to take her old job as vice principal, Heather was the first person on her list. She’s a pretty big stickler for the rules but is well respected and always manages to brighten everyone’s day so, really, it came as no surprise that the school board selected her of the five candidates.

 

“You outdo yourself every year,” Heather comments as she comes into the kitchen to find Ali getting the food and desserts in place.

 

“Thanks, HAO,” Ali grins. “Hey, you wanna get the cups and plates ready? They’re in the grocery bags on the table.”

 

“Sure thing, Kriegs,” Heather replies.

 

The pair spends the next half hour putting the finishing touches on everything before the rest of the guests begin to arrive. To Ali’s delight, Ashlyn is one of the first to arrive and she looks forward to spending some time together before her attention is pulled in a million different directions as the host of the party.

 

“Hey, Ash,” Ali greets with a big smile on her face when Ashlyn makes her way to the back patio where the majority of the party is set to take place. A few teachers are already standing around in groups with drinks in their hands so Ali takes Ashlyn around to introduce her to her new coworkers. She leads her to Whitney and Heather first, knowing that both women are super friendly and welcoming of new people. “This is our new math teacher, Ashlyn,” she says. “Ash, this is our vice principal, Heather, and Whitney, one of our geometry teachers. Whitney’s classroom is actually right next door to yours so I think you’ll see a lot of each other this year.”

 

“Nice to meet you guys,” Ashlyn says, shaking each of their hands in turn. “So what’s the scoop on everyone else?” she asks, looking around the patio at the ten or so other teachers and their significant others that are gathered.

 

“You’re in for it,” Ali says, surveying the people in front of them and deciding who to start with. “Okay, over there are Kelley and Alex,” she says, pointing to two attractive brunettes with beers already in hand. “Kelley teaches science and Alex teaches social studies. They're both riots, I think you’ll like them.”

 

“And what’s with that lady in the pink giving me some serious side eye?” Ashlyn questions.

 

Ali doesn’t even have to look where Ashlyn gestures to know exactly who she’s talking about. Joanne has been a thorn in her side for years now and Ali can’t wait for the day the woman retires. “It’s Joanne and yes she’s just as insufferable as she looks. She’s our pre-calculus and trigonometry teacher so, unfortunately, she’s in your department and you’ll probably see her a lot. Come on, the longer we put this off the worse it’s gonna be.”

 

Ali leads Ashlyn over to where Joanne is speaking with a group of the older teachers. Ali introduces Ashlyn as their new algebra teacher which Joanne seems to have a hard time processing.

 

“You cover those up when you teach, right?” Joanne asks, gesturing to the tattoos adorning Ashlyn’s arms.

 

“Not usually,” Ashlyn replies. “My students never seem to mind--they’re usually more worried about figuring out factoring or what they’re having for lunch.”

 

“But their parents might care.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs her shoulders, completely unaffected by the tense exchange. “Good thing I’m a damn good math teacher. Nice meeting you.”

 

Joanne gives Ashlyn a tight lipped smile but doesn’t respond (which is for the best, Ali knows) before returning her attention to her companions.

 

“Told ya,” Ali says, playfully nudging Ashlyn’s side with her elbow as they walk back to some of the friendlier groups. “She lives down the street from me--I’ll give you one guess what political yard signs she had out front last fall. It seemed like for every Hillary sign I put in my yard, she got five more Tump ones. Then she tried to put like a billboard size one up and our homeowner association told her to take it down because it was so big. She was actually pretty nice to me when I first started as an English teacher but then I brought my girlfriend at the time to the end of summer party and, suddenly, she wasn’t so nice to me anymore. Now I’m her boss and, honestly, it’s so vindicating.”

 

“I can imagine,” Ashlyn chuckles.

 

Ali walks with Ashlyn back to where HAO and Whitney have linked up with Kelley, Alex, Syd, and Becky. They’re all just settling into a conversation about their summers when Ali remembers that she forgot the taco salad in the fridge and excuses herself from the group. Kelley follows her inside and hops onto the counter and begins snacking on fruit slices from the tray next to her.

 

“Hey, Kel,” Ali greets. She gathers all the taco salad ingredients in front of her and begins mixing them together.

 

“Who’s the hot one?” Kelley asks. “She was following you like a puppy, is she your new girl?”

 

“I’m not dating anyone,” Ali replies. “That’s Ashlyn, the new algebra teacher.”

 

Kelley hums as she pops a grape into her mouth. “Damn, I was gonna congratulate you on the catch.”

 

“She’s a catch for our entire school. She comes highly recommended from her old district.” She’s trying to keep this conversation as professional as possible and avoid showing her cards. No matter what, nothing can happen between the two of them and it’s in her best interest to avoid thinking about Ashlyn’s attractiveness as much as possible. Kelley’s prodding is the opposite of helpful.

 

“Please, you know that’s not what I’m talking about.”

 

“Kel, I’m her boss. I’m your boss too, might I remind you.”

 

Kelley rolls her eyes. “I know, I know. But imagine you’re not her boss for a moment. Are you saying you wouldn’t climb her like a tree? She’s your type.”

 

“Jesus, Kel,” Ali laughs. “I haven’t thought about it because it’s not an option so…”

 

Kelley swipes a green apple slice through the fruit dip before jumping off of the counter. “You’re such a bad liar but don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” she says as she walks back towards the sliding door that leads to the patio.

 

“There’s nothing to tell,” Ali calls after her.

 

“Right, whatever you say,” Kelley responds with a wink.  

 

“Tell anyone about this conversation and I’ll tell Melissa about you and Alex hooking up,” Ali threatens.

 

“Mouthy Melissa? You wouldn’t dare.”

 

Ali shrugs. Melissa is a wonderful teacher but once she knows something, it’s never long until everyone else knows. It has the same effect as telling the entire school without all the leg work and Ali feels confident that she has Kelley over a barrel here. “Love ya, Kel,” she teases.

 

“Hate you, Al,” Kelley replies. “And for the record, Alex and I will probably be done messing around soon. She and Serv have a thing for each other and it’s only a matter of time before they get together. Just like you and Ashlyn.”

 

“Get out of here before I make you chaperone homecoming and prom this year.”

 

“Got it, boss,” Kelley replies, finally exiting the house.

 

Ali sighs as she returns her attention to the taco salad. Kelley has a knack for reading people so while she’s not worried about everyone figuring her out just yet, she knows she needs to keep it cool to avoid this conversation with anyone else. She can’t get in trouble for finding Ashlyn attractive, no, but she’s a young principal who faces enough scrutiny on a daily basis, particularly from older teachers who think they should have been chosen as the vice principal rather than Ali and were then even more frustrated when she got the principal job (as if that’s not the natural progression of things). She certainly doesn’t want to give anyone more reason to keep a watchful eye on her. She sets the now mixed taco salad by the rest of the food and is just about to head outside when Ashlyn comes in through the sliding door.

 

“Hey,” Ashlyn greets with a smile. “Your house is pretty amazing.”

 

“Thanks,” Ali replies. “It was the first thing I did after my promotion. It’s a little big for just me right now but it’ll be great when I have kids one day.”

 

“Can I get a tour? Not gonna lie, I’m a little jealous. I’m in a tiny two bedroom apartment with a roommate I met online.”

 

“Sure, sure,” Ali grins. She leads Ashlyn from the kitchen and into the spacious living room which, like the kitchen, is decorated in cozy neutrals. It’s modern and clean yet homey and welcoming. Next, she leads Ashlyn down the hallway to the bedrooms, showing her the two guest bedrooms before swinging the door open to her master bedroom.

 

“Okay, this makes my room look like a tin can,” Ashlyn jokes.

 

“What was it they always said on Cribs?” Ali asks. “This is where the magic happens… if the magic is drinking too much wine and falling asleep at nine.”

 

“Aw, come on, I bet you have your fun.”

 

Ali shrugs, a smirk playing on her lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

 

“She’s got some sass,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

“You have to if you want to hang with some of these weirdos. They can be a little overwhelming at first but I promise we have a pretty great group,” Ali explains as they walk back to where the party is taking place. “Just stay away from you know who and you’ll be fine.”

 

“Or I could be a massive pain in her ass and drive her up a wall because students will inevitably like me more than they like her.”

 

“Hey, as long as she doesn’t come to my office bitching about you, have at it.”

 

“Keep it subtle, noted,” Ashlyn says.

 

Kelley narrows her eyes at Ali when the pair returns to the patio and when Ali pours herself a glass of wine, Kelley is right there next to her with a shit eating grin.

 

“Sneaking off already I see.”

 

“I was just giving her a tour of the house, cool your jets,” Ali replies.

 

“Did she initiate the tour or did you?”

 

“She asked though I’m not sure why that matters.”

 

“She wants to fuck you,” Kelley says bluntly, almost causing Ali to spit out her wine.

 

When Ali recovers, she shoots Kelley a glare. “That’s it, you’re on homecoming and prom. Say another word and I’ll revive winterfest and spring fling just to make you chaperone them.”

 

“It’s not my fault you two are really obvious. If you don’t want other people to see the sexual tension you should probably chill with the heart eyes. That’s all I’m saying.”

 

“Okay, I hear you,” Ali replies. “And believe it or not I do appreciate you calling me out so I can tone it down a little.”

 

The rest of the party passes without major incident. Everyone, including Joanne, seems to enjoy themselves and the company of their coworkers before school starts on Monday and they have to settle back into normal life. Even Ali finds time to relax when she’s not in hostess mode. She’s held this party for three years now but hasn’t actually gotten into the pool in either of the last two years because she’s been so busy ensuring that everything is perfect. This time, however, there’s really no way she could resist when Kelley, HAO, Whitney, Syd, Alex, Becky, Ashlyn, and Serv all decide to take a dip. Ali catches Ashlyn staring just a little as she strips herself of her dress to reveal her black bikini. She gnaws at her lip a little at the attention, unsure of whether she should be relieved or worried that they both seem to feel the same things.

 

Ali isn't the only one who’s bad at hiding her feelings.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is a new thing I've been working on. It's based on [bad liar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZKXkD6EgBk) by Selena Gomez
> 
> I'm pretty excited about this one and I'd love to know what you think!


	2. first week

 

The first day of school is Ali’s favorite day of the year. For a person who has dedicated her life to shaping young minds, it’s like excitement of Christmas morning and the fresh start of New Year’s all rolled into one. There’s so much positive energy in the air and everyone is ready to take on the year ahead of them. This year is especially exciting to Ali because it’s her third year as principal and she finally feels like she’s settled into her position. With HAO as her right hand, there’s nothing the pair can’t handle.

 

Every year on the first day of school ever since they started as teachers, Ali and Heather meet in the parking lot an hour earlier than they arrive to school any other day of the year and walk into school together.

 

“Ready for this?” Ali asks as they walk in step.

 

“Bring it on,” Heather replies.

 

Even this conversation is tradition. It’s a little superstitious at this point but Ali genuinely believes it's good luck for the year ahead and even if it isn't, it can't hurt.

 

“Ready for round three of being your hype woman, Ms. Krieger,” Heather says as she opens the door for the principal.

 

“Thank you, Mrs. O’Reilly,” Ali says as she walks through the open door. As soon as she's in the building she takes a deep breath and readies herself for another year. She and HAO walk to their offices together to drop off their purses and lunches before heading back to the main office to greet teachers and staff as they make their way in.

 

The secretaries have an earlier start than most of the staff so they arrive shortly after Ali and Heather and take their places at their desks and start going about their morning tasks. After that, Ali and Heather attempt to guess the next people to arrive, their favorite annual competition. By the time Ashlyn arrives in an annoyed huff, HAO is solidly kicking Ali’s ass and they call it quits.

 

“Can you believe I spilled my fucking coffee on myself on the first day?” Ashlyn rants. “Now there's a stain on my shirt and I didn't get to have my coffee. There’s not time to go back home and of course nowhere is open this time of morning.” She sighs and looks down to check out the damage to her white shirt and her pants. “Uh, so either of you have a change of clothes I can borrow?”

 

Heather shakes her head. “I usually do but I haven't restocked for this year yet.”

 

“I might have an extra pencil skirt,” Ali replies, knowing full well that Ashlyn would rather wear coffee stained clothes than a skirt. “Wait, actually, I think I have an extra school polo in my office. It's a little big on me so I never wore it.”

 

“That would work,” Ashlyn replies.

 

“I can help you out with the coffee too,” Ali adds as the pair makes their way to her office. “I have a coffee maker so I can get that started while you change.”

 

“You're an angel,” Ashlyn grins.

 

It takes Ali a moment to find where she put the polo shirt but eventually she locates it in one of the cabinets she hardly uses and hands it over to Ashlyn. “Sorry I can't help you with your pants.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “At least they're black so once they dry, it shouldn't show. The white shirt is another story.”

 

“Staff bathroom is right across the hall from the office,” Ali says. “Oh, and there's a little storage thing under the sink in there if you want to keep pads or tampons in there. There should already be a drawer with your name on it. A lot of us prefer to keep our stuff in there rather than bringing our bag with us when we need it.”

 

“Oh, cool, I'll have to bring some with me tomorrow to stock up. Thanks for the tip.”

 

Ali nods and moves to her coffee maker as Ashlyn excuses herself to go change. By the time Ashlyn returns a few minutes later, Ali has the coffee brewing and two mugs ready to be filled. The navy blue polo with the Oakwood logo on the left side of the chest fits Ashlyn perfectly, though it looks a little tight around her biceps which Ali thoroughly enjoys. “Okay so that looks better on you than it ever would on me so you can keep it if you want,” she comments.

 

“Honestly, I can't thank you enough for saving my entire day with this. I definitely don't want a coffee stained shirt to be the first impression on my students. I don’t want to be known as the sloppy teacher.”

 

“Only if by sloppy teacher you mean the teacher who starts shit with Joanne, right?” Ali teases.

 

“Ouch, you hurt me,” Ashlyn replies, dramatically putting a hand to her chest and pretending to be wounded.

 

Ali waves her off as the coffee finishes brewing and she turns to fill their mugs. “Anyway, it's nothing, really. Like I said, I've never worn it and the same thing has happened to me so I know how much it sucks. Now come have coffee with me.” She sets the two mugs and a dish of sugar packets and creamers on her desk before settling into her desk chair. Ashlyn takes one of the chairs across from her and begins fixing her coffee to her liking. Ali makes a mental note that Ashlyn likes two sugars and two creamers and fixes her own coffee with three sugars and one creamer.

 

“You ready for the year?” Ashlyn questions.

 

Ali nods as she stirs her coffee. “I love my job and the start of the year is always my favorite. How about you? New environment, new students.”

 

“A little jittery if you couldn't tell by the coffee incident but mostly excited. I'm really glad I got to know some of the other teachers over the weekend--that makes everything a lot less intimidating.”

 

Ali nods her head in agreement. “It's always nice to get to know everyone as people first and build those relationships. A lot of the people here are my closest friends and it's because we do things like that.”

 

Ashlyn hums appreciatively as she sips her coffee. They discuss the plans for the day and get to know each other a little more and before they know it, it's time for Ashlyn to go to her classroom to begin the day.

 

The first day goes as smoothly as it can and over the course of the week, Ali and Ashlyn have coffee together every morning. On Tuesday, Ashlyn brings two coffees from Starbucks to thank Ali for the shirt and coffee the previous morning. On Wednesday, Ali shows up to Ashlyn's classroom with coffee from a local place near her home and on Thursday, they meet in Ali’s office again for coffee Ali brews. On Friday, Ashlyn treats once again and they discuss their week as they walk the hallways together.

 

“You've survived your first week at Oakwood,” Ali notes. “How are your students? I don't know many of them since they're freshmen.”

 

“Most of them are pretty good. Algebra isn't the most fun subject so I try to make it as entertaining as possible and they seem to respond to that.”

 

“I haven't had any of your students begging to be switched into a different algebra I yet so that's a good sign.”

 

“Have you guys already moved people around?” Ashlyn questions.

 

“Just a few,” Ali replies. “Big surprise we’ve already had someone drop pre-calculus and take up stats because of she who shall not be named. She mostly teaches seniors so a lot of them aren't afraid to stand up to her or to drop the class altogether since there's no one else who teaches the class.”

 

“Not gonna lie, if I was a student in her class I would probably end up in your office every day for mouthing off,” Ashlyn says, eliciting a laugh from Ali.

 

“Yeah, you'd spend more time in there than you already do,” Ali teases.

 

“You enjoy it and you can't even act like you don't.”

 

“It's the worst part of my day,” Ali deadpans but it's clear Ashlyn isn't falling for it.

 

“You're so bad at lying,” Ashlyn laughs. “Worst part of your day my ass. Unlike you, I have no problem admitting that our morning chats and coffee is the best part of my day. Even better than when I get home and get to take my bra off.”

 

“High praise,” Ali smiles. “In that case, I think it's something that should continue, don't you agree? Maybe sometimes we’ll even get some donuts involved.”

 

They finally arrive at Ashlyn’s classroom so she unlocks her door and flips the lights on. “It's a date,” she grins.

 

“Right,” Ali agrees quickly. She suddenly feels awkward and exposed at the mention of a date (even though she knows Ashlyn meant it in the most casual way possible) and she needs to get back to her own office before they take their flirting too far. “I have a ton of work to do this morning so have a good weekend and I'll see you on Monday.”

 

If Ashlyn notices Ali’s change in demeanor, she doesn't say anything for which Ali is grateful. In fact, Ashlyn seems a bit awkward herself as she straightens her already perfectly organized desk.

 

“Yeah, see you Monday,” Ashlyn replies, not bothering to look up from the task she's busying herself with.

 

As Ali treks back to her office, she wonders if it's already too much. They already test the boundaries with flirting and what could possibly come next? The more they push the boundaries, the more tempting their situation will get. She genuinely enjoys Ashlyn’s company and she has looked forward to their morning coffee together all week. She doesn't necessarily want to pull back from what is shaping up to be a good friendship but she also doesn't want to get in too deep and risk their jobs.

 

With no one else to discuss the matter with, she fires off a text to Kelley asking if she wants to eat lunch together in her office in the afternoon. Kelley has already figured them out and Ali trusts her implicitly to not only keep their conversation between themselves but also to give unfiltered and unbiased advice.

 

Kelley’s class has C lunch this year which is a little later than Ali usually eats so she's getting pretty hungry by the time Kelley arrives in her office with her own lunch in hand.

 

They make small talk for a few minutes, both of them dancing around talking about why Ali suddenly felt the need to have a private lunch with the science teacher. They're pretty close friends but it's fairly unusual for them to eat alone as opposed to eating in the teachers’ lounge with other teachers and staff.

 

“So what’s up?” Kelley asks once they're already halfway finished eating.

 

“You know what's up,” Ali replies. “You knew something was up before there was really anything to tell.”

 

“Ah, the girlfriend,” Kelley teases.

 

“Come on, I really need some advice here,” Ali pleads. “Can we be serious for a minute.”

 

Kelley nods and waits for Ali to continue.

 

“We’ve had coffee together every morning this week and it's been amazing so we talked about continuing it as like a regular thing and then she said ‘it’s a date’ and it threw me off. I know she didn’t mean it as an actual date but is it already too much?”

 

Kelley ponders her response for a moment which Ali greatly appreciates because she knows Kelley is taking this seriously. “Well, first, it’s important to know if you’re just attracted to her or if you would date her. Like what’s your ideal scenario here?”

 

“I mean, it’s kinda soon but I feel like I would want to date her, ideally. I enjoy spending time with her and attraction is part of it, yes, but it’s kind of secondary to just enjoying being with her.”

 

“Okay then entertain the idea of what would happen if you two date. What’s the worst that would happen?”

 

“We could both be fired if we were caught and I’m not sure how easy it would be to find another job because I don’t think the district would be very inclined to give us a recommendation if they find out. Being fired is a pretty big red flag when you apply somewhere else.”

 

“You’re not wrong there but who says the administration has to find out?”

 

“They would find out eventually,” Ali asserts. “There’s no way they wouldn’t. And, besides, just from my own ethical standpoint, it’s a messy situation to get myself into. I’m her boss and getting involved with her could get incredibly complicated. She’s my subordinate.”

 

“That’s hot,” Kelley jokes. “Sorry, sorry, I know this is serious but I couldn’t help it. I don’t know, Al, I really don’t. I get what you’re saying but I could sense something between you two within like five minutes and we both know there’s possibility there.”

 

“There is and that’s what makes this so difficult,” Ali replies. “If it was just physical attraction it would be so easy to ignore but it’s already deeper than that and it terrifies me on so many different levels.”

 

“Maybe just see how things go,” Kelley suggests. “If it seems like things could work out between you two then evaluate whether it’s worth the risk or if one of you should resign and move to a different school. Or maybe the decision will be to protect your careers and that’s fine too but you don’t have to make a decision right now. Don’t stress yourself out too bad. At the end of the day, you’re both adults and, in my opinion, love is more important than any job.”

 

Ali doesn’t respond as she ponders Kelley’s advice. Finally, it’s time for Kelley to go back to her classroom and Ali thanks her for helping her talk through things.  

 

She doesn’t have time to really unpack her feelings until she gets home. When she finally does start thinking about her predicament, she realizes that Kelley gave her the exact advice she wanted to hear. She needed someone to tell her not to worry so much and to remind her that her job is just that, a job. It’s important to her, sure, but it can’t dictate her entire life.

 

But then she thinks of the time and energy she’s put into building her career. She’s immensely passionate about what she does and she doesn’t want to put her job on the line on a whim. She’s at a complete standstill which feels like the most merciful place she can be at the moment. The longer she internally debates her situation, the more time she buys herself before acting.

 

~

 

Ali’s weekend is spent just like any other weekend during the school year. She does chores around the house that get neglected during the week, runs errands, and catches up with friends. Sunday is shaping up to be a lazy day around the house when she gets a text from Ashlyn.

 

_So I was supposed to have brunch with a friend today but she can’t make it because her son is sick. I could really use a western omelette and I was wondering if you’d like to join._

 

Ali responds to ask where and when before she can talk herself out of it. She doesn’t have too much time to get ready and, after all, it is her lazy day so she throws on leggings and a t-shirt and meets Ashlyn at the restaurant. 

 

Though they’ve had coffee together every day except Saturday this week, it feels like an extra special treat to see Ashlyn outside of school. Once they’re settled into a booth, Ali orders a mimosa while Ashlyn orders a coffee and they sip their drinks as they talk.

 

“How’s your weekend been so far?” Ashlyn questions.

 

“Pretty standard. Just running errands and cleaning the house. How’s yours?”

 

“A little annoying, not gonna lie. My roommate had a party on Friday night which I wouldn’t have minded but I hardly know my roommate let alone her friends. Besides, I was tired from the week and planned on falling asleep around eight so obviously it didn’t help.”

 

“I definitely do not miss the roommate days. If it happens again, you’re welcome to crash at my place. As you saw, I have two empty bedrooms and I love the company.”

 

“Oh, god, you have no idea how helpful that would be--this seems like a regular thing for her.”

 

“Always happy to help,” Ali grins.

 

As brunch goes on, Ali is struck by two different but related feelings: how natural it is being around Ashlyn and just how difficult it’s going to be to force her feelings down. Though they’ve known each other for just a few weeks, Ali feels as comfortable talking about deeply personal matters as she does discussing work and they’re constantly making one another laugh. The ease of the friendship they’re building brings Ali both joy and worry.

 

She can’t fall for her.

 

She can’t help but fall for her.

 

If things were different, Ali already would have asked Ashlyn out on a date. They’d be sitting at this exact table and probably having this exact conversation but they could hold hands and steal kisses in between bites. She wouldn’t think twice about asking Ashlyn on a date because she feels comfortable with her and wants to know her on a deeper level. She wants to know Ashlyn on a level that only a partner can.

 

The most she can do, she figures, is get to know Ashlyn as a close friend and she focuses herself on nurturing this budding friendship.

 

They trade childhood stories and when Ashlyn tells her story about hitting a boy across the face with a dead fish, Ali laughs so hard that tears stream from her eyes. “You didn’t,” she exclaims.

 

“I absolutely did,” Ashlyn replies. “I wasn’t gonna take that shit and I figured it would stop him.”

 

“You realize you’re in for a ride when you have kids, right? Karma is coming for you.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “I’ll be ready for it. The good thing about growing up as a hard headed kid is that I understand how they work so hopefully I’ll be able to use it to my advantage. Besides, you weren’t much of an angel yourself--you told me about trouble you and your brother got into, remember? You’re in for it too.”

 

“Don’t remind me,” Ali laughs. “Hopefully we’re building up good karma by working in education. Some of the shit we have to deal with should immediately cancel out anything else we’ve done.”

 

“What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever dealt with as a principal?”

 

“Easy,” Ali begins, “last year for senior prank day, two male seniors decided to run around naked with paper bags over their heads so no one would see who they were. One of the students ran outside to avoid being caught and was immediately hit by a car in the parking lot. He was perfectly fine and only suffered a few scrapes but that was not a fun meeting in my office with him and his parents. I saw way too much of him and his accomplice that day.”

 

“Is accomplice code for something else here?” Ashlyn jokes, eliciting a laugh from Ali.

 

“It was such a pain in the ass to deal with at the time but it’s a hell of a story now,” Ali explains. “Though I feel like I have to give it at least a full year before I can really laugh about it without being a horrible person.”

 

“I happen to think you're a horrible person no matter what,” Ashlyn jokes. When Ali glares at her, she corrects herself, “kidding, you know I think you're great.”

 

“That's more like it.”

 

When they go their separate ways after brunch, Ali can't help but look forward to tomorrow morning when they'll meet in her office for coffee. Even after just a few weeks, she's in deep and there's no end in sight.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the wonderful comments on the first chapter! I'm so glad you enjoyed :) 
> 
> I'm a few chapters ahead of you so in addition to wanting to know your thoughts on this chapter, I'd love to know what you think is still to come. I might be inspired by some of your ideas and more inspiration means more chapters, right?
> 
> This one certainly gets more dramatic and angsty than my other fics so just a forewarning ;)


	3. feelings on fire

 

After the first few weeks of school, Ali and Ashlyn’s morning coffee together is a well coordinated routine, following the same pattern every week. On Monday and Thursday, they brew coffee in Ali’s office; on Tuesday and Friday, Ashlyn picks up coffee from wherever she feels like that morning; and on Wednesday, Ali picks up from her favorite spot. The only time they miss a day is one week when Ashlyn comes down with a cold on Thursday evening and requests a sub for Friday.

 

As if they don’t spend enough time together during the week, they sometimes see each other over the weekend as well. It comes as no surprise that Ashlyn settles into the same group of teachers that Ali is friends with so when the group gets together for various reasons on their days off, Ali and Ashlyn are both likely to be in attendance.

 

Ali loves these get togethers because it’s an excuse to see Ashlyn outside of school without being completely obvious by hanging out alone.

 

Ali hates these get togethers because they can’t really flirt in front of everyone else and they have to play it cool instead.

 

Every time they have brunch with their friends, Ali falls a little harder for Ashlyn. Ashlyn is all the things she looks for in a partner: funny, kind, confident, and driven. The fact that she fits in so well with the people who are so near and dear to Ali’s heart is an added bonus.

 

One sunny Sunday in late September, Ali and Ashlyn are out to brunch with Alex, Kelley, and Syd. Ashlyn is wearing a cutoff tank top that perfectly shows off her toned, tattooed arms and Ali is having a particularly hard time stopping herself from staring. Alex and Syd don’t seem to notice but Kelley catches Ali giving Ashlyn a once over several times and shoots Ali a knowing smirk.

 

When Ali excuses herself to go to the bathroom, Ashlyn follows close behind.

 

“Like my shirt, huh?” Ashlyn teases once they’re alone in the bathroom.

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ali lies.

 

“Sure,” Ashlyn laughs. “I was gonna offer you an extra napkin to wipe your drool.”

 

“I wasn’t staring that hard.”

 

“I thought you were gonna melt my tattoos away,” Ashlyn teases.

 

“Oh and like you don’t stare at my ass?” Ali fires back. “Don’t think I don’t notice.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “It’s a good ass.”

 

In nearly every interaction whether it be at work or off of school grounds, they continue to push the boundaries between friendship and something more and it’s getting to the point where Ali wonders how much longer she can take the tension.

 

Things are about to boil over and even if she wanted to, there’s nothing she can do to stop it.

 

~

 

Every year after homecoming, Kelley and Alex host a staff after party at their rental house. Unlike the end of summer get together, this party is generally hush hush and limited to their friends so everyone can really cut loose without worrying about people like Joanne putting a damper on things. The parties are always such a good time that pretty much everyone who’s invited usually attends whether they actually chaperoned the dance or not.

 

Since Ashlyn is new at the school, she volunteers to chaperone homecoming along with Whitney, Kelley (who doesn't have a choice after picking on Ali at the summer party), Becky, and a few other teachers as well as parent chaperones. As principal and vice principal, Ali and Heather attend almost every dance to ensure everything runs smoothly. Joanne also happens to volunteer this year which is the one time Ali doesn’t mind her disdain for anything fun because she keeps the kids in line without having to talk to them herself.

 

On Monday of spirit week, Ali stifles a laugh at Ashlyn’s ensemble when they meet in her office for coffee. It’s team day and Ashlyn is decked out head to toe in Orlando City and Pride purple, complete with a scarf and a temporary tattoo on each cheek. It completely puts Ali’s Washington Nationals jersey to shame.

 

“Someone enjoys spirit week,” Ali comments.

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “I’m super competitive.”

 

“Guess I have to step up my game then.”

 

The rest of the week is spent attempting to one up each other in their friendly competition. By the end of the week the competition is so tight that even Ali agrees that Ashlyn won spirit week purely based on Monday’s outfits.

 

“So what do I win?” Ashlyn questions as they eat lunch together in the lounge. There’s no one else in the room yet so they’re shamelessly flirting while they eat.

 

Ali thinks for a moment in an attempt to come up with a good prize. “Oh, I know,” she exclaims after a minute, “you can decide what color dress I wear to homecoming. I’ve been trying to decide between my red dress and my black dress for a week now.”

 

“Can I see the dresses before I make my decision?” Ashlyn questions. When Ali shakes her head, she tries again, “Which one has a lower neckline?”

 

“Sorry to tell you that they’re both school appropriate.”

 

“Okay, fine, then go with red,” Ashlyn finally decides. “Though I think it’s more of a prize for you that I helped make the decision.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll wear a different red dress to the afterparty,” Ali winks.

 

“Now we’re talking.”

 

They’re soon joined by other teachers from B lunch and all flirting and talk of the afterparty stops and they shift to discussing more benign things like the afternoon’s pep rally and whether or not any of them will be attending the football game that evening.

 

As soon as lunch is over, Ali and HAO go to the gym to make final preparations for the homecoming pep rally.

 

“You gonna get everyone amped up?” Ali asks as HAO goes over the little speech she has prepared.

 

“I always do,” Heather grins.

 

She’s not wrong. Heather is so full of competitive energy that Ali is more than happy to let her do the honors of kicking off the pep rally while she tends to things behind the scenes like ensuring the cheerleaders and band are ready to go.

 

When the time comes and the gymnasium is full, Heather takes the microphone and works the crowd of students and staff like only she can. Tonight’s homecoming game is especially exciting because it’s against one of their biggest rivals and everyone is hoping for a big win to kick off the weekend right. Ali, meanwhile, sits right up front and cheers along with the entire school, sometimes making eye contact with Ashlyn who is sitting in the middle of the teacher section next to Whitney and Syd.

 

When the festivities are over, almost everyone clears out of the gym pretty quickly to head home but Ashlyn hangs around for a bit until the crowds are thinned out and she can talk to Ali and HAO who are staying to help with cleanup.

 

“That was some speech,” Ashlyn says, grinning at HAO.

 

“Isn’t she great? I swear she gets better every time we have one of these.”

 

“It’s nothing,” Heather says, waving them off.

 

“It’s not nothing,” Ali replies. “It’s like you become a completely different person. With the respect the students have for you and your energy, there’s no better person to get everyone excited for this weekend.”

 

Heather grins at the compliment and continues walking through the bleachers to ensure that nothing was left behind before they push them back against the walls.

 

“I’m gonna get going,” Ashlyn says. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

 

“See ya, Ash,” Heather replies.

 

“See you tomorrow,” Ali says.

 

~

 

Ali spends Saturday morning in anxious anticipation. At first, she thinks it’s because she’s excited to let loose with her friends later in the night. Now that she’s the principal, there’s a definite change to how most teachers treat her but, luckily, her core group of friends still treats her the same as they always have. They respect her during school hours but outside of work, they treat her just like they did before. She always looks forward to these parties because it gives her time to have fun with the people who mean the most to her without worrying about appearing unprofessional in front of certain teachers.

 

Then she realizes that she’s anxious because she and Ashlyn have come to their boiling point and she has a feeling that nothing will be the same after tonight.

 

She’s so jittery over the whole thing that she intentionally avoids Ashlyn as much as possible at the dance. She doesn’t even give Ashlyn her assignment herself, instead using Kelley to delegate to Ashlyn. She assigns Ashlyn to supervise the actual dance in the gym with HAO, Whitney, Becky, and Joanne while she and Kelley roam the halls (the ones that aren’t blocked off, at least) to ensure that students aren’t attempting to sneak off together or doing other things they shouldn't be doing.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kelley questions after a few minutes. Ali is tense and there's no hiding it.

 

“What? Nothing’s wrong.”

 

“Please,” Kelley scoffs. “You and I both know this should be Ashlyn monitoring the halls with you. You’re usually attached at the hip and you’ve been avoiding her all night.”

 

“I’m not avoiding her,” Ali lies.

 

“Al, come on, don’t do that. I’m trying to be helpful but I can’t if you don’t let me in.”

 

“Okay, fine,” Ali sighs. She looks around and when she sees that no one is watching, she pulls Kelley into a relatively secluded corner for a private chat. “I’ve been avoiding her.”

 

“No shit. You should’ve seen her when I told her she was in there with everyone else and not with you. She said she tried to meet with you before the dance but you said you were too busy. I guess she has a corsage for you in her car.”

 

“To be fair, I was really busy at the time,” Ali replies. When she finally processes the rest of what Kelley told her, her face falls. “She does?”

 

Kelley nods. “She was gonna give it to you but since you wouldn’t see her, she left it in her car. She thinks you’re mad and is trying to figure out what she did.”

 

Ali lets out a deep sigh and looks down at her feet as she shifts nervously. “Do you ever get the feeling that something is about to happen?”

 

Kelley nods but doesn’t say anything.

 

“Like, we’ve been dancing around each other for over a month now and I don’t know how much longer we can do this. I feel like something is going to happen tonight and at this point, I can’t honestly tell you that I don’t want it to happen.”

 

Kelley slings a comforting arm around Ali’s shoulders and squeezes her tight. “Al, no one will blame you or judge you if you and Ash get together.”

 

“The school board will.”

 

“Fuck the school board,” Kelley exclaims a little too loudly. Luckily, there’s no one around to hear and when she speaks again, it’s quieter. “I mean it, Ali, go with your heart and figure the rest out later.”

 

“That’s easy for you to say, your job isn’t on the line. This is everything I’ve worked for I can’t just throw it away. Every time I allow myself to think about the possible ramifications, I imagine being fired and then not being able to find another job because now there’s a big red flag on my resume.”

 

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Kelley says softly. “I wish I had the right answer but what I can tell you is that you can’t ignore Ashlyn all night because you don’t know what to do. You need to talk to her because she’s kicking herself thinking she did something wrong. She thinks you’re so mad at her that you punished her by assigning her to work in the same room as Joanne who has already made a snide remark about her suit.”

 

“Okay, okay, I’ll talk to her at the party tonight.”

 

If Ali thought she was nervous before, there’s no way to describe what she’s feeling now. She returns home as planned after the dance to change and grab the bottle of wine she’s bringing to the party, though now she wishes she’d purchased something stronger to quell her nerves. She orders a Lyft to Kelley and Alex’s because with the nerves she’s feeling right now, there’s no way she’ll be sober enough to drive home later.

 

Ashlyn isn’t at the party yet when Ali arrives so Ali quickly downs a couple of shots for some liquid courage. When Ashlyn does arrive thirty minutes later, Ali is drunk and dancing with Kelley, Syd, and Alex.

 

“Hey,” Ashlyn greets the four women. “I brought whiskey,” she says, holding up the bottle.

 

“Ali can show you where to put it,” Kelley offers, cringing slightly at the glare Ali shoots her.

 

“It’s just in here,” Ali says, leading the way to the kitchen.

 

As luck would have it, no one else is in the kitchen when they walk in together and Ashlyn takes it as her opportunity to talk to Ali.

 

“Did I, uh, do something wrong? I’m really sorry if I did.”

 

“No, no,” Ali assures. “Sorry, I was just stressed tonight so I was being weird. I’m okay now though, I promise.” She omits the reason she was so stressed and hopes that Ashlyn accepts this explanation without too much trouble. To her great relief, Ashlyn nods her understanding and moves to the counter to pour herself a drink. Ashlyn doesn’t mention the corsage and it breaks Ali’s heart a little knowing that such a sweet gesture will go to waste.

 

“Want one?” Ashlyn asks as she pours herself a shot of whiskey.

 

Ali shakes her head. “I need to pace myself.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs and downs her shot like a pro. She’s about to pour herself another drink when she thinks better of it and turns to Ali instead. “Not gonna lie, I was hoping for at least one dance tonight but I never really got to see you,” she says.

 

“Well now’s our chance,” Ali grins. She takes Ashlyn’s hand and drags her back out to the living room where there’s music pumping through the speaker system.

 

They dance in a group with their friends, careful to not be too obvious about their attraction to one another. As long as they dance with the rest of the group and avoid getting handsy, Ali is confident that no one will suspect much of anything and it makes her wonder if it would be possible to hide a relationship with Ashlyn and decide what to do about the district later.

 

An hour and a few more drinks later, Ali can’t take it anymore. She can feel every move Ashlyn makes as they dance and if she doesn’t leave soon, she won’t be able to stop herself. But leaving without exploring where things might go doesn’t seem like an option either so she makes a decision that will allow her to both give into temptation while protecting themselves from getting caught. She asks Ashlyn to follow her to the kitchen under the guise of getting another drink and when they’re alone, she steps close to the taller woman.

 

“Would you like to come home with me yes or no?”

 

“Yes,” Ashlyn breathes.

 

“I’ll say my goodbyes and go outside. Follow me in about ten minutes and we’ll order a Lyft, got it?”

 

“Got it.”

 

Ali and Ashlyn return to the living room where Ali says goodbye to everyone, including Ashlyn to keep their cover. She doesn’t wait right outside the house in case someone comes outside and instead waits by what she knows is Syd’s car parked along the street a few houses down. As promised, Ashlyn follows a few minutes later, finding Ali just before their car arrives.

 

Ali sits as far away from Ashlyn as possible in the back seat of the car and when they pull up to her house, she rushes Ashlyn inside as if they’re being followed. She quickly locks the door and shucks her shoes before turning to face Ashlyn who looks to be both concerned and amused.

 

“You know the real reason I avoided you tonight?” Ali asks. “I can’t take this anymore,” she says, gesturing between the two of them. She moves closer to Ashlyn until they’re brushing up against one another. Even just this slight physical contact makes her feel like she’s going to combust. “Do you want this?”

 

“I do,” Ashlyn affirms.

 

Ali nods and takes a deep breath. She stands on her toes and presses a kiss to Ashlyn’s lips. Despite all logic telling her she can’t do this, she deepens the kiss and when Ashlyn’s tongue begs for entry, she allows it and they battle for dominance. Hands tangle in one another’s hair and they don’t break the kiss as they stumble their way to the couch.

 

It might be all the pent up sexual tension but kissing Ashlyn is even better than Ali ever imagined it would be. It’s like every nerve ending is on fire and the only way to put it out is to have more of Ashlyn, to have more of the thing that’s causing the feeling.

 

As the kiss deepens, all of Ali’s internal debate fades away and she thinks only of Ashlyn. For the moment, there are no consequences. There’s no such thing as a conflict of interest and there’s no school board. There’s just Ali and Ashlyn and six weeks of sexual frustration.

 

When they come up for air, Ali breaks the kiss long enough to take Ashlyn’s hand and lead her into the master bedroom.

 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day we met,” Ashlyn says as they continue kissing in Ali’s bedroom.

 

Ali shushes her and pushes her against the wall, trailing kisses down her neck while simultaneously unbuttoning her shirt. As soon as Ashlyn is free of her shirt, Ali kisses from her neck to her chest before running into Ashlyn’s sports bra. “Off,” she demands, moving back just enough to allow Ashlyn to pull the bra over her head.

 

“Yours too,” Ashlyn commands and watches in delight as Ali immediately strips down to just her panties.

 

Now, the power shifts a little and Ashlyn starts kissing Ali again while backing her up until Ali falls back onto her bed. Ali eagerly scoots to the head of the bed while Ashlyn crawls above her and stares at her swollen lips and messy hair. “You’re so beautiful,” Ashlyn says.

 

“So are you,” Ali replies, caressing Ashlyn’s cheek in her hand. “Please fuck me.”

 

Neither woman talks much after that. Between the alcohol and the sex, both are far too tired to talk after they get their fill and they both fall asleep completely naked in Ali’s bed.

 

~

 

In the morning, Ali wakes from what she thought was one of her most vivid sex dreams about Ashlyn to date. She hums a little and rolls over in an attempt to fall back asleep and go back to the dream. When she shifts, however, she realizes that someone else is in her bed and opens her eyes to find a sleeping Ashlyn.

 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she exclaims. She jumps out of bed and grabs some clothes before heading into her bathroom. Once inside with the door closed, she pulls her t-shirt and shorts on and splashes water over her face, trying to calm herself. She must have woken Ashlyn from her slumber because she doesn’t even have toothpaste on her brush when Ashlyn knocks on the bathroom door asking if she’s okay.

 

“Just a sec,” Ali calls.

 

All she can think of as she brushes her teeth is how what she thought was a wonderful dream has turned out to be real and now that it is real, she’s not sure what to do. When she finishes, she puts her toothbrush back where it goes and rummages under the sink to find one she hasn’t used yet.

 

When she opens the bathroom door, she finds that Ashlyn is still naked and averts her eyes. “Here,” she says, handing over the toothbrush. “I’ll set out some clothes for you and go make coffee so we can talk.”

 

“Thanks,” Ashlyn grins, looking as relaxed as can be which Ali finds both endearing and frustrating.

 

Ali busies herself with finding clothes for Ashlyn and then with making coffee while trying to avoid thinking as much as possible. It’s no use, though, and her mind continues running at warped speed, not slowing down until Ashlyn is finally across from her at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of her. Though they’re at Ali’s house instead of at school, coffee together is a regular occurrence for them and it makes Ali feel a little more normal.

 

“What’s happening here?” Ali asks.

 

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.”

 

“I need to know because it’s been tearing me up since we met.”

 

“Well, we slept together,” Ashlyn says plainly. “And I don’t regret it. Do you?”

 

Ali groans and drops her head into her hands for a moment. “I don’t know. Fuck, I don’t know.” She pauses to think for a moment before she speaks again. There’s too much going through her mind and she needs to focus on Ashlyn’s simple question before she thinks about anything else. “No,” she finally decides. “I don’t regret it but we can’t do this. I’m your boss and there are too many things that can go wrong.”

 

“You anticipate things going wrong?” Ashlyn questions.

 

“Not like that, no, though obviously we can’t be sure that things would go well either. What I mean is that if we try this and we’re caught then we’re likely both out of a job.”

 

“I can’t tell you that I wouldn’t like to try but you’re right. We’ve both worked hard to be where we are and we shouldn’t do something that would jeopardize that if we’re not fully willing to risk it.”

 

“I really do like you,” Ali says. “And if things were different there would be no doubt in my mind that this is worth pursuing but it’s like you said, we’ve both worked hard to get where we are.”

 

“I really do understand,” Ashlyn assures. “It’s been weighing on me too and I knew it was only a matter of time before we needed to have a conversation like this.”

 

“So you’re not mad at me?” Ali questions as she looks down at her coffee.

 

“Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?”

 

“Because we… you know… last night and it can’t go anywhere.”

 

“I’m not mad, I promise. I really enjoyed last night and while I wish there was a way, I don’t regret it and I’m certainly not upset with you.”

 

“Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Anything,” Ashlyn replies.

 

“Did you mean it last night when you said that you’ve wanted to kiss me since the day we met?”

 

“Of course I meant it,” Ashlyn answers. “I like you, Ali, and it’s not just about anything sexual. I want to be with you but it’s clearly not an option at the moment.”

 

Ali nods and ponders what she wants to say next. She’s held so much in for so long that now that they’re finally being open and vulnerable, she knows she needs to explain where her mind has been for the last six weeks. “I’ve really, really struggled with this, you know? Every time I think I’ve made up my mind that I want to be with you, I get scared about what might happen. I know that I love spending time with you and you make me feel like every part of me has come alive but I also know that I love my job and our school and I just don’t see a way for us to be together.”

 

“I don’t know either,” Ashlyn says. “Why don’t we give ourselves a break to cool off a little and figure everything out? We can still have our coffee together because I’m not sure I’d be willing to give that up but other than that, let’s try to limit our contact for a while so we can think clearly.”

 

They hash out their ground rules as their finish their coffee. They’ll go about their morning routine just as they always have but with one major change: they’ll have coffee in the staff lounge rather than alone in Ali’s office. Now that something has happened between them, they want to avoid suspicion as much as possible and that means spending their time in common areas where all are welcome as opposed to locked away in Ali’s office. Other than that, their contact will be limited to professional business only. They won’t avoid each other, of course, but they’ll be careful to limit themselves so they don’t slip back into their typical flirty banter.

 

Ali offers to drive Ashlyn home when they’re done talking but Ashlyn decides to order a car instead, arguing that they better start following their own rules now rather than waiting. Ali knows they both need to clear their heads to fully weigh their options but when Ashlyn leaves, she feels sad rather than relieved.

 

She should’ve known then that her mind was already made up.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you had to know they couldn't resist for long ;) 
> 
> as always, thanks for reading!


	4. give into you

 

The first week of limited contact with Ashlyn feels weird and like something is missing but, eventually, Ali accepts it as the new normal. They no longer text one another outside of school hours nor do they flirt over their coffee. They’re strictly professional which, considering the friendship they’ve built and the night they spent together, is the weirdest part of it all. But even that begins to feel normal after a while.

 

Maybe she can do this. As long as they maintain their distance, maybe they can cool off a little until there’s no more temptation and then they can just be friends.

 

At least, that’s what Ali thinks until Halloween.

 

Halloween falls in the middle of the week this year and on the Saturday before, Ashlyn texts to ask if she can finally take her up on the offer to stay the night. Her roommate is having a Halloween party and she doesn't want to stick around the apartment. She knows her roommate a little better now but the more she knows about her, the less she likes her so she’s beyond the point of trying to spend time with her.

 

Ali wants to play by their own rules and turn her down but as always with Ashlyn, she can’t quite resist. When Ashlyn shows up on Saturday evening with takeout, wine, and a goofy grin, Ali knows she made the right choice.

 

“I cannot thank you enough,” Ashlyn says.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ali grins. She takes the carryout and wine from Ashlyn, moving deeper into the living room and setting them on the coffee table. “You can go put your bag in whichever guest room you’d prefer.”

 

Ashlyn shoots Ali a grin and heads off down the hall, selecting the room that’s right across from Ali’s own bedroom. When she returns, Ali has silverware for their dinner and is in the middle of pouring two glasses of wine.

 

“Now this is a much better Saturday night than I would have had,” Ashlyn says as they sit on the floor in front of the coffee table. “I would’ve been locked in my room wearing my noise cancelling headphones.”

 

“Glad I could be of assistance,” Ali grins. “Not gonna lie, I’ve kind of missed hanging out with you outside of school.”

 

“I get it, you just can’t stay away from me,” Ashlyn teases.

 

Ali rolls her eyes as she sips her wine. “I’m not the one who begged to stay the night,” she notes. “Sounds like you’re the one that can’t stay away.”

 

“Can you blame me?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

They eat dinner together while the tv plays in the background and before they know it, they’ve polished off the entire bottle of wine and have moved onto beer from Ali’s fridge. With good food, good wine and beer, and many laughs, Ali feels happier than she has in a long time. Eventually, they decide to watch Chopped on Hulu and end up yelling at the contestants as if it’s a major sporting event. In Ali’s opinion, it’s the only way to watch the show and she’s glad that Ashlyn gets as into it as she does.

 

At first, the pair sits at opposite ends of the couch but as the night goes on, Ashlyn scoots closer and closer to Ali, claiming that she’s cold and wants to share the blanket Ali is using. Ali offers to get Ashlyn her own blanket but Ashlyn waves her off, insisting that they share. By the time they switch from Chopped to Kids Baking Championship, Ashlyn is so close that their thighs are brushing.

 

Ali turns to Ashlyn, a sarcastic remark on her lips about personal space but Ashlyn flashes her a smirk and scoots even closer and Ali loses her train of thought.

 

They give in slowly. First, Ali glances at Ashlyn’s lips for a second too long. Next, Ashlyn moves a hand to rest on Ali’s thigh. They stay in that position and try to turn their attention back to the TV but it’s no use. As hard as she tries, Ali’s sole focus is on Ashlyn’s hand on her thigh.

 

Ali can’t take it anymore. “Ash,” she whines. They’re not nearly as drunk as the last time they slept together but they’re certainly not sober either and Ali is more torn than ever. But when she looks into Ashlyn’s eyes, she feels a sense of calm and leans forward to kiss her. “We shouldn’t do this,” she mumbles, so close that her lips brush against Ashlyn’s.

 

“We don’t have to. Do you want to?”

 

Ali responds by closing the rest of gap between them and capturing Ashlyn’s lips in a kiss. It couldn’t be more different from the last time they did this. Last time, they were both wasted and after six weeks of sexual tension, every movement was rushed as they finally gave in to their desires. This time, there’s no rush whatsoever.

 

They kiss for a few minutes but Ali’s conscience eventually catches up to her so she puts a hand on Ashlyn’s shoulder and pulls away.

 

“God, we really shouldn’t do this,” Ali says.

 

“Then we won’t.”

 

“I just need a little more time.”

 

With that, they go back to watching their show, maintaining a little more distance this time and when they finally go to bed, Ashlyn sleeps in the guest room as planned.

 

~

 

As always, no decision in Ali’s life is made without her mom’s advice so when Ali goes down to Miami for Thanksgiving, she tells her mom everything (well, except the part about her and Ashlyn sleeping together after homecoming).

 

“Alex, honey, I understand better than anyone just how rewarding education is and I know how hard you worked in school to put yourself into a position where you could become a principal one day. As a fellow educator, I would advise you not to risk it.”

 

“You’re probably right,” Ali says.

 

“Hold on, I’m not finished,” Deb says. “But as your mom, I can tell how much you care about Ashlyn. You deserve all the happiness in the world and you need to follow your heart. Besides, I want grandbabies to spoil.”

 

“You’re ridiculous,” Ali laughs. “But you do give good advice so thank you.”

 

Though it’s nearly the same advice that Kelley has given time and time again, it feels different coming from from her mom. She still has a lot to think about and a lot to consider but with her mom on her side no matter what, Ali is confident that everything will be okay.

 

~

 

Since Kelley was the only one who knew about their situation to begin with, she’s the only one who seems to notice the change in Ali and Ashlyn’s relationship. One morning in mid-December, Kelley uses her prep period to show up to Ali’s office unannounced and demands answers.

 

“Sure, Kel, come right on in,” Ali sasses, looking up from the paperwork she’s supposed to be going over.

 

“Seriously, what’s going on with you and Ashlyn? You’ve been weird for two months now and it’s killing me.” She plops down into the chair across from Ali’s desk and waits impatiently as Ali closes her manila folder.

 

“If I tell you, you tell no one. Do you understand?”

 

Kelley nods eagerly.

 

“Ashlyn and I slept together.”

 

“Holy shit,” Kelley exclaims. “When? Was it good?”

 

“After the party at your place,” Ali supplies. “And, yes, it was good. But in the morning I freaked out and we decided to scale back a little so we won’t tempt ourselves too much while we figure things out. Everything was fine but then she wanted to get away from her roommate’s Halloween party and we made out. We’ve maintained distance since then and that’s where we are.”

 

“So have you made up your mind yet?”

 

Ali shrugs. “I think I do want to try with her but I still go back and forth a little. I hate not spending time with her, I can tell you that much.”

 

“Damn, Ali, I’m proud of you for making it that far at least,” Kelley replies.

 

“Thanks,” Ali grins. “And remember that this stays between us.”

 

“Promise.”

 

As Kelley leaves, Ali follows her out the door with her lunch bag in hand. She pokes her head into HAO’s office and smiles as Heather looks up to greet her. “Want to eat together?” Ali questions.

 

“Of course,” Heather grins.

 

Ali steps into Heather’s office and takes the chair across from her desk just like how Kelley just sat across from her. Heather is one of her best friends and as principal and vice principal, they’re supposed to be a united team without secrets between them. Through everything with Ashlyn, Ali has felt incredibly guilty that she can’t let HAO in. She wants to tell her, to confide in her but it’s risky enough with Kelley knowing and the more people that know, the better chance there is that it will get out. In response to her guilt, she’s been nurturing her friendship with Heather a little more than normal which has led them to be closer than ever before which feeds the cycle of guilt Ali feels.

 

“What was Kelley so riled up about? She ran by here like someone was on fire.”

 

“God, who ever knows with that woman,” Ali jokes. “I think we’re lucky she teaches biology instead of chemistry because then someone probably would be on fire. But it was nothing, really, she just wanted to know if there’d be donuts at the staff meeting tomorrow so she can get there early.”

 

“Sounds like Kel,” Heather laughs as she digs into her lunch.

 

“So how has your week been so far?” Ali asks.

 

“Not too bad. Oh, when you were out at your meeting the other day, Josh Styles was sent down for disciplinary reasons again. He was terrorizing the Spanish sub so I sent an email home. Can you believe his parents were more pissed at me for contacting them than they were about his behavior? They said we’re supposed to deal with him while he’s here, not bring them into it.”

 

“I absolutely can believe that because I've received the same response from them before. There's a reason he is the way he is and it's because his parents don't do anything, unfortunately.”

 

“You know who seems to get through to him the most? Ashlyn. It's like they understand each other and he responds really well to her. I think that when we do the schedules for next semester, we need to make sure he's assigned to her class again and not a different algebra I teacher.”

 

“Not surprising at all,” Ali says, her heart swelling with pride that Heather thinks Ashlyn does a good job with such a troublesome personality. “We can definitely do his schedule manually so he ends up in her class again. Hopefully she can become something of a mentor to him.”

 

“That’s a great idea,” Heather says. “If you don’t mind, I’ll talk to her next week and mention that she should try to take him under her wing a little. Maybe with some guidance he’ll relax a little.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Ali replies.

 

“How was your meeting, by the way?”

 

“Boring. It was mostly about preparing our juniors for their standardized testing next semester. It's the same as every year so it was mostly just a refresher course with a few new tidbits thrown in.”

 

“Oh,” Heather exclaims, suddenly remembering something, “do you mind if I cut out of here a little early tomorrow afternoon? Dave and I are going out of town and we want to get a head start on traffic.”

 

“I don’t have a problem with that,” Ali agrees. “You could probably even leave after the staff meeting to go over the testing stuff. I would tell you to take the whole day off but obviously you need to be there for the meeting so we comply with all the testing rules. We all have to be on the same page before break so we’re ready when the new semester starts next month.”

 

“Not a problem at all.”

 

“Where are you two headed?” Ali questions.

 

“Just the Keys,” Heather replies. “Close enough for a weekend trip but far enough that we feel like we’re actually getting away before we have both families over for Christmas.”

 

“That sounds awesome, be sure to have a glass of wine on the beach for me.”

 

“I’ll send you a picture,” Heather laughs.

 

Lunch with Heather never fails to make Ali happy and when she goes back to her office, she feels relaxed and ready to finish out the week on a high note.

 

As promised, HAO texts Ali a photo of herself drinking a glass of wine on the beach on Friday evening followed by an adorable selfie with Dave to thank her for letting them get a head start on their vacation.

 

Ali stares at the picture of Heather and Dave for a full minute as she thinks about how nice it must be to have someone like that. She’s had boyfriends and girlfriends before, of course, but she’s at an age where she wants a partner, not just a casual relationship. Deep down beyond all her worries about the ramifications, she thinks Ashlyn could be that person for her.

 

She thinks Ashlyn could be that person for her and she knows exactly what she needs to do.

 

~

 

After sleeping on it for the night, Ali decides to invite Ashlyn out to lunch. Lunch is the perfect opportunity to talk because it’s casual enough to talk without it feeling too much like a date and putting additional pressure on themselves.  

 

Other than Halloween weekend, it’s been over two months since Ali and Ashlyn last spent time together outside of school but as soon as they’re settled into their booth, it feels like everything is back to normal. It feels so good and natural that Ali actually forgets why she invited Ashlyn out to lunch in the first place until they’re nearly finished with their meals.

 

“So I’ve been thinking about our situation a lot,” Ali says.

 

“So have I but I wasn’t sure if you were ready to talk yet.”

 

“I wasn’t, really, but now I am.” She takes a deep breath and plays with her discarded straw wrapper as she works up the courage to say what she needs to say. “I like you, Ash. I know we’ve been over that before but I wanted to say it again. I like you enough that even though it still scares the hell out of me, I’d like to date you, if you’re still interested.”

 

“I’m definitely interested,” Ashlyn grins. “But what about--”

 

“I don’t know,” Ali answers. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with the district if they find out. I think for now we should keep things quiet and cross that bridge when it comes and hopefully it doesn’t come for a while. I think that as long as we don’t tell anyone at school and keep things off of social media we should be okay for a while before we figure out how to talk to the district about us.”

 

“So you don’t think we should disclose this now?”

 

“Not at the moment, no. I think we should know ourselves whether or not we’ll work before we go to them about it because once we do, it’s likely that one of us will have to find somewhere else to work. Would you be okay with keeping us a secret for a while?”

 

“I think so,” Ashlyn replies. “Obviously it’s not something we could keep up forever but you’re right and we should feel things out before telling anyone. After all this time, I’m just happy that we’re going to take a chance on each other.”

 

“Me too.”

 

When Ashlyn speaks again, she’s sporting a goofy grin that melts Ali on the spot. “So what now?”

 

“Would you like to go to the movies tonight?” Ali asks. Considering the conversation they just had, she knows Ashlyn will say yes but it’s still a little nerve wracking to actually ask her out on a date.

 

“I would love to,” Ashlyn grins.

 

“Perfect, I’ll send you showtimes and pick you up,” Ali says, matching Ashlyn’s grin.

 

Since Ali is driving to the movies, Ashlyn insists on paying for their lunch, despite Ali’s protest that she should pay for it since she was the one who asked Ashlyn to have lunch in the first place. In the end, they compromise by agreeing that Ashlyn can pay for lunch and Ali will pay for their date later tonight.

 

“Is it weird that I’m a little nervous for tonight?” Ali asks before they get into their separate cars to get ready for the evening.

 

“Just think of this as our first date and tonight as our second then there’s nothing to be nervous about. I mean, it kind of was our first date because usually we would have paid for ourselves.”

 

“Well in that case you won’t mind if I wear sweatpants, right?” Ali teases.

 

“I know you’re joking but can we actually wear sweatpants? Who says we have to get dressed up just to go to the movies? We see each other in nice clothes everyday so tonight we should just be comfortable.”

 

Although Ali initially meant it as a joke, she actually likes what Ashlyn is proposing. “Okay, maybe I won’t wear sweatpants but I think we can both agree to dress comfortably rather than trying to impress, right? You have already seen me naked, so…”

 

“Mmm, that I have,” Ashlyn grins. “Haven’t stopped thinking about it since.”

 

“Neither have I,” Ali replies. “Did I tell you that when I first woke up that morning, I thought it was a dream? When I rolled over to fall back asleep there you were.”

 

“You freaked out a little,” Ashlyn notes. “Freaked out a lot, actually.”

 

“I did but not because I regretted it--just the opposite, actually. It scared me because suddenly it wasn’t just in my head anymore. I’ve thought about it a lot over the last few months and I’m sure about this. I think we deserve to give this a shot.”

 

“I completely agree.”

 

Ali steps closer to where Ashlyn is leaning against her jeep and pats her hip. “I’ll see you later,” she grins.

 

“I can’t wait.”

 

~

 

Treating the evening as their second date is more helpful than Ali initially expected. With their first (though Ali would still argue that tonight is their first) date behind them, she can relax without all the typical first date jitters. As promised, she picks a fairly casual outfit of leggings, sneakers, and a t-shirt and secures her hair in a topknot. When she picks Ashlyn up at her apartment, Ashlyn seems to appreciate this casual outfit just as much as she would appreciate Ali in a dress and heels.

 

“Hey, you look great,” Ashlyn says when she answers her door. She initially offered to come down to the car when Ali arrived rather than making her come up but Ali insisted on picking Ashlyn up at her apartment rather than just her apartment building. Like Ali, Ashlyn is casually dressed in jeans, a pullover sweatshirt, and Doc Martens. “You can come in for a sec, I have to grab something from my room.”

 

Ali follows Ashlyn into her shared apartment and takes a look around. None of the furnishings or decorations really seem like Ashlyn’s style which makes sense considering Ashlyn moved in after her roommate had been in the apartment for a year. When she takes a peek inside the room Ashlyn disappeared into, it’s clear her theory is correct. From the dark furniture to the bedside lamp to the art on the walls, this room is definitely Ashlyn’s style. Ali watches as Ashlyn digs through her dresser for a moment before locating the shorts Ali loaned her after homecoming.

 

“Here,” Ashlyn says, handing over the shorts. “I would’ve given them back at school but that probably wouldn’t have looked great if someone saw. Sorry to tell you the shirt is mine now though.”

 

“Oh, is it?” Ali asks, eyebrows raised in amusement. “To be honest, I don’t even remember which one it was.”

 

Ashlyn nods and rummages through her drawers again before producing the grey shirt with the Oakwood logo on the front. Like the polo, it was always a little big for Ali’s preference and she only ever wore it to sleep in. “It’s soft and it smells like you and now that we’re trying this, I think it’s more than fair,” Ashlyn explains.

 

“You’re adorable. Now let’s get going or we’ll miss the start of the movie.”

 

Instead of going to the local theater, Ali goes drives to a theater nearly twenty minutes away, which seems to take Ashlyn by surprise.

 

“It’s better this way,” Ali says. “It’s a Saturday night and I don’t want to risk running into anyone we know, especially co-workers or students. I swear, at least half of the people who work at that theater are students.”

 

“Oh, yeah, that’s smart,” Ashlyn replies.

 

“At least here I can hold your hand without worrying too much,” Ali says, grinning over at Ashlyn in the passenger seat as they come to a light. “Are you okay with this? I realized as I was getting dressed that this might take more sneaking around than we initially thought.”

 

Ashlyn takes Ali’s hand in her own and squeezes it tight. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care what theater we have to go to. I’m just glad you thought of it before we walked in to buy tickets and were faced with a bunch of people from school.”

 

When they arrive at the theater, they’re overly cautious and don’t hold hands as they walk in. Once they’re seated in the back row of the theater, however, Ashlyn takes Ali’s hand and laces their fingers together. Ali flashes her a massive smile and rests her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder as they watch the previews.

 

The movie is as good as advertised and when they leave the theater, Ali and Ashlyn discuss the awards show buzz surrounding it. Since they haven’t recognized anyone all night, they even hold hands as they walk to the car which is so simple yet not something that will always be a given for them--at least until they disclose their relationship to the district.

 

“So I’d say our first and second dates were pretty successful,” Ashlyn says once they’re back in the car.

 

“I think I have to agree,” Ali grins. “Two dates in one day; next thing you know we’re going to be U-Hauling,” she says, eliciting a laugh from Ashlyn.

 

“Stop,” Ashlyn groans. “Actually, I hate my roommate and your house is awesome so, you know, that actually sounds nice to me.”

 

“Oh you thought you were gonna move into my house? Here I thought I was gonna move in with you and your shitty roommate,” Ali jokes.

 

“Man, guess we have to figure that out before we actually do U-Haul.”

 

“Guess so.”

 

They’re almost back to Ashlyn’s apartment when Ali decides she really wants a blizzard so she pulls into Dairy Queen so they can go to the drive thru. Once they get their order, Ali navigates next door and parks in the grocery store lot so they can enjoy their ice cream together.

 

“Now this is the perfect way to end the perfect day,” Ashlyn says appreciatively as they dig into their blizzards. “So are you going to tell anyone about us?” she asks after a moment. “I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

 

“I’m not sure--what do you think?”

 

Ashlyn shrugs and turns to face Ali better in the car. “I honestly would tell the whole world if it was an option but obviously it’s not at the moment. Could we tell our families?”

 

“Yeah, that would be fine,” Ali answers. “As long as it won’t get back to anyone within the district, I think we can tell people. I’ve already told my mom about you.”

 

Ashlyn is taken aback for a moment but eventually she smiles and takes Ali’s hand. “What did you tell her?”

 

“Well it was when I was in Miami for Thanksgiving and I explained our situation to her. I said that I met someone that I really like but that it was a problem because you’re a teacher at my school. She’s a teacher too so, I don’t know, I guess I thought she might have seen something like it before. She hasn’t seen it before but she heard of a few instances and she said that I just need to follow my heart.” She pauses and strokes the back of Ashlyn’s hand with her thumb. “I realized that my heart was leading me towards you.”

 

“I’m glad you talked to her then,” Ashlyn grins.

 

“Oh, did you know that Kelley knows about us? She doesn’t know about today, obviously, but she knows almost everything else.”

 

“How does Kelley know? I thought we needed to keep this secret from everyone at school?”

 

“We do need to keep it from everyone at school,” Ali says. “But Kelley figured us out at the end of summer party and has been pestering me for updates ever since. I’m sure she’ll ask again soon and I don’t know what to tell her. I know she’s trustworthy but I don’t want to tell her we’re dating.”

 

“Whatever you think is best--I don’t know her as well as you do.”

 

“You and Whit seem to be good friends,” Ali notes. “Whit’s a good one.”

 

“She definitely is,” Ashlyn agrees. “She’s always so helpful when I need it and cares a lot about her students. Our teaching styles couldn’t be any more different but we’re both successful at our own methods and I think we’re learning a lot from each other. I spend more time with her than anyone else because she’s right next door and we have the same lunch period but you were right that I’d like Kelley and Alex. And Syd is hilarious. Not gonna lie though, Becky scares the shit out of me. She’s ridiculously intelligent.”

 

“She’s my Whitney and I can assure you that she’s just a loving nerd. She can get pretty goofy too but obviously nothing compared to everyone else,” Ali laughs. “Her room was next to mine when I started here and I loved learning from her. Everyone tries to tell her she should get her PhD and teach at the university level but she loves teaching high school.”

 

They’re quiet for a moment as they eat their ice cream and Ali thinks about all the changes the day has brought. They’re actually giving this a shot and while it still makes her a little nervous, she knows that they owe it to themselves. After all her internal debates and her conversations with her mom and Kelley, that was the point that she kept coming back to. Her students and her career have been her top priority ever since she started at Oakwood. Hell, it’s been her priority ever since she started grad school. She’s dated people but with her focus on her students and climbing the ladder, she hasn’t had a serious relationship in a few years.

 

After giving so much of herself to her work, she feels as if fate brought Ashlyn here, a sort of repayment for all the love she puts into the school.

 

“So what are your plans for the holidays?” Ali asks after a minute.

 

“Just going to Satellite Beach for Christmas,” Ashlyn responds. “What about you?”

 

“I’m actually going to DC this year. Kyle is flying in too so we’ll both get to spend Christmas with our dad and the rest of our family there. Then for New Year’s I was probably just gonna hang out at my place. You should come over if you don’t already have plans.”

 

“That sounds great,” Ashlyn grins. “I was probably gonna surf all New Year’s day but I’d much rather come spend it with you.”

 

“Good,” Ali replies, matching Ashlyn’s wide grin. They’ve both finished their ice cream by now so Ali leans over the center console and presses a slow kiss to Ashlyn’s lips that has her head spinning as if they just made out. It’s their first sober kiss and before they even finish, both of their lips curl up in a smile and they sport matching goofy smiles when they pull apart. “Hmm, better than I remember.”

 

“To be fair, we were both pretty drunk the first time and tipsy the last time,” Ashlyn notes. “I’m sure it wasn’t our best work.”

 

“Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” She kisses Ashlyn again, lingering just a little longer this time. When they pull apart, she sits back in her seat so she can drive Ashlyn home.

 

Once again, Ali insists on walking to Ashlyn’s door so when they arrive at her building, they walk up to Ashlyn’s apartment together and pause outside.

 

“Thank you for today,” Ashlyn says. “I’ll see you Monday.”

 

“See you Monday,” Ali says, grinning as she stands on her toes to kiss Ashlyn one last time. They in the middle of the hallway so they keep it pretty chaste which leaves Ali hungry for more. “Have a good night, Ash.”

 

Ashlyn grins, her dimple showing in her cheek. “Night, Ali.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't get too comfortable with the fluff things are gonna get Complicated pretty soon ;) 
> 
> As always, your comments keep me inspired so keep 'em coming and i'll get chapters out pretty regularly


	5. holidays

 

By the time Monday morning rolls around, Ali feels downright giddy. After their amazing date(s) on Saturday, she and Ashlyn spent over an hour on the phone on Sunday which just made Ali all the more eager to see her on Monday. It’s the last week of school (and a short one at that) before the holiday break and it all has Ali feeling like she’s on a high.

 

She has her girl and her job and she finally, finally believes that she can have it all, as long as they can keep their relationship quiet.

 

Since they need to keep things under wraps for a while, they make a rule that they won’t so much as openly flirt at school, let alone kiss or hold hands no matter if they’re alone or not. Essentially, their personal relationship stops as soon as they’re on school grounds.

 

On this particular Monday, Ashlyn is running a little later than normal so Ali already has a pot of coffee brewed in the staff lounge as she waits for Ashlyn to arrive. Since moving their morning coffee dates to the lounge, they’re sometimes joined by other teachers and this just happens to be a day where it seems like the entire school joins them.

 

When Ashlyn finally arrives, Whitney is the first to greet her. “Hey, Ash, how was your weekend?”

 

Ashlyn resists the urge to look at Ali and instead busies herself with pouring her coffee as she responds, “good, just finishing up some Christmas shopping. How about you?”

 

The lie slips off of Ashlyn’s tongue so easily that even Ali buys the answer before she remembers that they spent all day together Saturday and that yesterday Ashlyn decided that she was too lazy to go to the mall and said that she’ll finish her shopping on Thursday instead.

 

“Same,” Whitney replies. “Every store was a nightmare.”

 

“Tell me about it,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

“What about you, Ali?” Alex asks.

 

The question takes Ali by surprise though it really shouldn’t because it’s the most common topic of conversation on Monday morning. “Oh,” she says, taking a sip of coffee as she tries to think of something she can tell them. “I just packed and got everything ready for DC.” Really, it’s only a half lie because she did go over her packing list for her trip though she won’t actually start packing until Wednesday before her Thursday morning flight. “What do you all have planned for the holidays?” she asks, steering everyone in what she thinks is a safe direction. That is, until everyone starts discussing their New Year’s Eve plans.

 

When it’s Ashlyn’s turn, she tells everyone that she’ll be going to a friend’s house in the area for a relatively quiet night.

 

“I’m always stuck on school time so I’m sure I’ll be asleep by ten,” Ali offers. Again, not necessarily a lie but certainly not the truth. With the plans she has for her and Ashlyn on New Year’s Eve, she may very well be asleep by ten.

 

“Ugh, I’m jealous,” Whitney groans. “I have to go to a party with Ryan and his friends. It should be fun but I totally feel you on the school schedule thing. No matter how hard I try, I’m always down by ten and up by six. I’m not sure I’ll make it to midnight.”

 

Nearly everyone else mumbles their agreement and continues to make small talk as they finish their coffee together. As the room clears out, Ali and Ashlyn hang back for a moment alone.

 

“Packing for DC, huh?” Ashlyn asks.

 

“Was it obvious that I lied?”

 

Ashlyn shakes her head. “Nah, you actually are going to DC and you will have to pack so I’m sure no one thought anything of it. I just happen to know how you really spent your weekend.”

 

“And I happen to know that you were too lazy to go shopping,” Ali teases. She longs to give Ashlyn a good morning kiss but quickly reminds herself of where they are. They cannot afford to get caught on school grounds. They can’t afford to get caught at all, really, let alone at school. “I gotta get going, I have a lot of stuff to finish before break starts. Have a good day.”

 

“Yeah, you too,” Ashlyn replies.

 

Normally, they wouldn’t really cross paths during the rest of the day unless Ali takes her lunch to the lounge during Ashlyn’s lunch period. But this week is far too busy so Ali eats her lunch while she works. During 5th period, Ashlyn’s prep period, Ashlyn and HAO both show up to Ali’s office.

 

“Got a sec, Al?” Heather asks.

 

“Yeah, sure, come on in,” Ali replies, smiling as Ashlyn and Heather come into her office and take the two seats across from her desk. “What brings you two in here?”

 

“I was just talking to Ash about Josh Styles,” Heather explains. “I told her our plan to ensure he’s in her class again next semester.”

 

“He’s honestly not that bad in my class so I don’t mind at all,” Ashlyn says. “And if I can help him in any way, you know I will. Honestly, I was pretty mouthy in middle school and early high school--”

 

“Can’t imagine that,” Ali interjects with a smirk, eliciting a laugh from both Heather and Ashlyn.

 

“I was,” Ashlyn continues, “and all it really took was a teacher who believed in me and a kick in the ass from my grandparents for me to get my shit together and now here I am.”

 

“Well I definitely appreciate you taking an interest in him,” Ali says. “Heather has dealt with him more than I have so as you proceed, you can talk to her about how he’s doing. Hopefully with a little guidance he won’t have to come down to see her multiple times a week.”

 

“I’ll do my best,” Ashlyn promises. “Anyway, I should get going and finish grading these tests before my next class.”

 

“Sure, sure,” Heather says, walking with Ashlyn to the door. “Thank you for meeting with me and helping out with Josh.”

 

“No worries at all. Thank you for trusting me to guide him a little. I’ll see you guys later.”

 

“See ya,” Heather replies. When Ashlyn is gone, Heather turns to Ali and for a brief moment, Ali worries that she’s found them out though she’s not sure how. “I like her,” she says. “She has a good heart.”

 

“She was definitely a good find for the district,” Ali agrees. She grabs one of the papers sprawled across her desk and glances over it in an attempt to look casual. The words on the paper swim before her and she’s unable to concentrate on anything other than Heather’s presence.

 

“You two are close, huh?”

 

“Uh, kind of,” Ali says. She pauses to gather herself before she speaks again. It’s going to be a long few months if she’s nervous every time someone at school talks about Ashlyn. “I mean, you know that I like to know everyone here on a more personal level. I think it fosters a better work environment. And Ashlyn just happens to have become friends with the same people we’re friends with so she’s kinda part of the crew now.” This is the first time Heather has ever brought up Ali and Ashlyn’s relationship and it makes Ali feel incredibly guilty that she can’t tell HAO the whole story, that she has to keep half of the truth hidden.

 

“You’re an incredible principal, Ali,” Heather says, unknowingly making Ali feel even guiltier. “I can’t imagine a better person to lead this school.”

 

“And I can’t imagine a better person by my side,” Ali replies. “I couldn’t run the school the way I do without you there too.”

 

“Okay, okay, I’m gonna get out of here before you make me cry,” Heather says.

 

~

 

By the time school gets out on Wednesday, the teachers and staff are almost as checked out as the students and everyone is ready for break. Since Ali is flying to DC the next morning and won’t get to see Ashlyn for over a week, she invites Ashlyn over for dinner and to exchange Christmas gifts, having previously agreed to get each other something small since they didn’t really have time to plan anything too exciting.

 

“Hey,” Ali greets with a grin as she answers the door.

 

“Hi,” Ashlyn says, matching Ali’s smile.

 

Ali leads Ashlyn into the house and kisses her softly. They haven’t seen each other outside of school since Saturday so they savor the kiss a little before heading into the living room where Ali has a small tree set up with only Ashlyn’s presents underneath (since she’s spending Christmas in DC, she had everything else shipped to her dad’s house).

 

“This is for you,” Ashlyn says, handing over a few wrapped packages.

 

They sit across from one another on the plush rug with their gifts in front of them. The multicolor lights on Ali’s tree and the Christmas music playing from Ali’s bluetooth speakers fill the air and Ali would swear that she’s never been so content.

 

“You first,” Ashlyn says.

 

Ali smiles as she opens the top gift in a square box. Inside rests a white mug with ‘world’s best boss’ in bold black letters, just like the one from The Office. “Really, Ash?” she laughs.

 

“I thought it was funny and I couldn’t resist,” Ashlyn shrugs. “Trust me, the rest of your present is better.”

 

Ali shakes her head at the gag gift (which she fully intends on using at home where no one can see) and moves to open the second gift. Inside, she finds a beautiful white, grey, black, and purple marbled jewelry dish. “Oh, this is gorgeous,” she coos. “Where’d you get it?”

 

“I made it the other day. I looked up jewelry dishes online because I noticed when I was here before that you tend to leave jewerly by the sink in the bathroom so I figured you could use something nearby so you won’t lose anything. Then I found the tutorial to make that one using oven bake clay and I knew it was perfect.”

 

“Ash, this is so incredibly thoughtful, thank you. I always take stuff off when I go to bed and forget it on the bathroom counter.”

 

“Well now you have something to keep it in.”

 

The last box is the smallest of them all so it comes as no surprise that it’s jewelry. Specifically, it’s a gold tone Alex and Ani bracelet with a small pendant bearing the letter A.

 

“I figured if it’s bad luck to give someone a wallet without money, it’s probably bad luck to give someone a jewelry dish without jewelry,” Ashlyn explains.

 

“I love it,” Ali says, leaning forward to kiss Ashlyn. “I’m probably gonna wear it every day. Okay, now it’s your turn.”

 

Ashlyn grabs the first perfectly wrapped box and tears into the paper like an excited kid, making Ali laugh as she watches her. Ali gifted her with a few different bath bombs from Lush and Ashlyn holds each one to her nose individually and smells them. “I love these,” she says with a grin. “Maybe we can even use them together.”

 

“Maybe,” Ali agrees with a wink. “You can take them home or leave them here if you want.”

 

“Leave them here,” Ashlyn answers quickly. “I saw that massive tub and I intend to make good use of it.”

 

Ali blushes at the double meaning behind Ashlyn’s words as Ashlyn goes to open her second and final present, a matte black 25 ounce S’well water bottle. Ashlyn recently complained that none of her water bottles keep her water cold throughout the school day and Ali figured this is something she’ll get a lot of use out of.

 

“Holy shit this is awesome,” Ashlyn exclaims. “I really wanted one of these but I haven’t been able to bring myself to buy one.”

 

“Mine is my favorite, you’re gonna love it.”

 

Ashlyn sets her gifts aside and helps Ali stand up so she can pull her into a hug. “Thank you,” she says.

 

“Thank you,” Ali replies, kissing Ashlyn. “Let’s go eat.”

 

They chat as they eat, talking about everything and nothing and never running out of things to discuss. Since they’re on break, they talk about work sparingly and instead focus on getting to know each other deeper than they currently do.

 

The more they go on with this relationship, the more comfortable Ali feels in believing they made the right decision. Rules are there for a reason, yes, but as consenting adults, they’re not harming anyone by being together. In a way, it almost reminds her of coming to terms with her sexuality while back in college. Back then, she was terrified to act on her feelings for women because she worried so much about what people might think or say.

 

Although she’s now fully comfortable in her sexuality, the fear that shrouds her relationship with Ashlyn feels eerily similar to the fear she experienced in her first relationship with a woman. A lot of things are different, yes, but the hiding and the sneaking around is the same and Ali wishes with her whole heart that circumstances were different.

 

Neither woman wants to jump into this relationship too quickly so when they make out on the couch as a movie plays in the background, they stop themselves before things get really heated.

 

“You’re good at that,” Ali mumbles breathlessly as she breaks apart from Ashlyn and rests her head on her shoulder. She feels a little dazed from the kiss and melts into Ashlyn’s side as they cuddle on the couch.

 

“So are you,” Ashlyn replies. She wraps her arm around Ali and reaches for the remote with her other hand to start the movie over now that they’re actually paying attention.

 

Though Ali has an early flight, Ashlyn doesn’t leave until well after one in the morning. Ali knows she’ll regret this when her alarm goes off in a few hours but for the moment, she couldn’t care less.

 

~

 

Ali’s flight back home is as smooth as can be and she spends all afternoon watching the clock and counting down until Kyle’s plane lands in the evening. She offers to pick him up at the airport in her dad’s car so he doesn’t have to make two trips in the same day and when she sees Kyle come outside dragging his luggage, she jumps out of the car and gives him a massive hug.

 

“I’ve missed you,” Kyle says, swaying back and forth a little with Ali in his arms.

 

“I have so much to tell you, you have no idea,” Ali replies. Together they load Kyle’s luggage into the trunk and get out of the loading zone before a cop can scold them for holding up the busy pick up line. “So I met someone,” she says as they start driving back towards their dad’s house.

 

“Oh my god, spill.”

 

“Okay but first let me preface this by saying that we’re keeping it quiet for now. It’s kind of complicated so we’re really only telling family.”

 

“Are they a felon?” Kyle asks. “Oh, are they in the witness protection program?”

 

“No, no, nothing like that,” Ali assures. “She’s actually a teacher at my school.”

 

“Holy shit, you’re her boss?”

 

“Yes but she was hired by the district so I had nothing to do with it, in case you were thinking it was a thirst hire or something. We first met when she came to prepare her classroom a few days before school started and she kind of caught me staring right away but it was okay because she flirted with me too so it definitely wasn’t just me.”

 

Kyle rubs his hands together excitedly as he listens to Ali speak. “This is so juicy I’m obsessed.”

 

“Anyway,” Ali laughs, rolling her eyes at her brother. “On the first day of school she spilled coffee all over herself so I gave her a school polo from my office and made coffee to make up for the one she spilled. Then the next day she brought in Starbucks to thank me and we’ve had coffee in the morning together ever since. We flirted a lot but we never acted on anything because it’s against the rules but then after homecoming we were both drunk at Kelley and Alex’s and I couldn’t take it anymore so I asked her to come home with me.”

 

“Okay so I know you teach at a high school but how very high school of you,” Kyle says.

 

Again, Ali rolls her eyes. She pauses her story there for the moment as they pull into Ken’s driveway and unload Kyle’s stuff from the trunk. Kyle greets their dad and stepmom before insisting that he and Ali go upstairs to the guest room to finish their story time, which Ali obliges.

 

“Okay, you left off at homecoming,” Kyle says, sitting cross legged on the bed.

 

Ali sits across from her brother and continues detailing her relationship with Ashlyn thus far. She doesn’t skip over anything and when she’s done, Kyle lets out a low whistle. “So how much trouble are you in if the district finds out?”

 

“I have no idea,” Ali replies. “I’m sure one or both of us will be fired or reassigned to a different school within the district. I’ve researched previous cases and there seems to be mixed responses from each district.”

 

“And you’re still going for it? It must be love.”

 

Ali shrugs but doesn’t say anything. It’s much too early to even consider saying that she loves Ashlyn but she does care about her deeply and wants to see where this goes. “Actually, I was supposed to FaceTime her tonight, do you want to say hi?”

 

“What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I want to meet her.”

 

Ali gets out of bed and goes into the other guestroom to retrieve her laptop. When she returns, she and Kyle settle at the top of the bed, sitting up against the headboard. The call rings for nearly 30 seconds before Ashlyn finally answers with her hair wet from an evening shower.

 

“Perfect timing, I just got out,” Ashlyn grins.

 

“Ash, this is Kyle,” Ali says, gesturing to her brother right next to her.

 

“Okay, I get why you can’t stay away,” Kyle says as he takes in Ashlyn in her cutoff tank. “Can’t say I feel the same way but I get it.”

 

“Nice to meet you too,” Ashlyn laughs. “How were your flights?”

 

“Smooth but way too early,” Ali answers. “Especially after last night.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what happened last night? I thought you gave me all the juicy deets.”

 

Ali playfully backhands Kyle on the chest. “Nothing happened last night she just left late and I had an early flight this morning.” Now she turns to Ashlyn who looks thoroughly amused. “Ignore him, please. How was your day?”

 

“Pretty good,” Ashlyn replies. “I finally finished my shopping and then went to the gym, hence the shower. I had to be clean for my hot date, you know?”

 

“Oh, yeah, it doesn’t get hotter than a video call with me and my brother,” Ali teases.

 

“I don’t know, you’re both pretty good looking,” Ashlyn cheeses.

 

“I love her,” Kyle exclaims. “But I definitely do not want to be part of this hot date so I’ll leave you to it.”

 

“So that’s my brother,” Ali says as Kyle exits the room and closes the door, giving Ali some privacy.

 

“Exactly as advertised.”

 

“Is it bad that I already miss you?” Ali asks.

 

Ashlyn shakes her head, the longer hair atop her head falling in her eyes until she pushes it back off of her face. “I miss you too. I mean, it’s a weekday so we should’ve seen each other at school. But we’ll survive and it’ll make our New Year’s Eve together extra special.”

 

“I’m gonna hold you to that. I should get going, though, I think dinner will be ready soon.”

 

Of course by the time Ali makes it down to the kitchen, her dad, stepmom, and her stepbrothers have heard all about Ashlyn from Kyle. Her dad seems a little concerned that the relationship is against the rules but Ali assures him that she’s happy and that they’re being careful until they know what they should do. Despite her family’s concerns, they’re all happy that she’s happy and trust that she knows what she’s doing.

 

Christmas in Virginia is the standard affair. Ali spends time with family and eats more cookies than she would normally allow herself to have. She and Ashlyn check in with one another throughout the week but they’re both busy and things are still new so they don’t put too much pressure on themselves or one another. By the time Ali flies back to Orlando, however, she misses Ashlyn a great deal and can’t wait to ring in the new year together. Ashlyn can’t wait either, it seems, because although she said she would be back from Satellite Beach around 5:00pm, she surprises Ali by showing up at her place a full three hours early. Ali definitely wasn’t expecting Ashlyn this early so when she answers the door, she balks for a moment before pulling Ashlyn into a tight hug.

 

“You’re early,” Ali grins, kissing Ashlyn’s cheek.

 

“I couldn’t wait--I hope this is okay.”

 

Ali rubs Ashlyn’s back and takes her hand to drag her into the living room. “It’s more than okay. I was just doing stuff around the house to distract myself until you got here. I didn’t get ready yet or anything so you’re stuck with me like this,” she says, gesturing down to her sweatshirt and joggers.

 

“You’re beautiful no matter what you’re wearing.”

 

Ali sits on Ashlyn’s lap on the couch with her arms looped around Ashlyn’s neck. Between her going to DC a few days before Christmas and Ashlyn not returning from her hometown until just now, it’s been a week and a half since they last saw one another and Ali is thrilled just to be in Ashlyn’s presence again. She nuzzles her face against Ashlyn’s neck and breathes in the scent that has become so familiar and comforting to her recently.

 

“Good surprise, I take it?” Ashlyn asks. She leans in for a kiss which Ali eagerly reciprocates.

 

“Great surprise,” Ali grins.

 

Ashlyn kisses Ali again and after spending the last ten days apart, both women are eager to deepen the kiss. Ali straddles Ashlyn’s lap and kisses her slowly, using the power of her position to control their pace. She lightly tugs at Ashlyn’s bottom lip with her teeth, eliciting an appreciative moan from the woman underneath her. Everything is so new that they’re still learning what the other likes so Ali makes a mental note to do that more often, especially if she’s going to continue getting reactions like that.

 

When Ashlyn pulls away, breaking the kiss, Ali’s worries that she’s done something wrong and her heart drops a little. But Ashlyn just rests her forehead against Ali and catches her breath, her hands still roaming over Ali’s body.

 

“Will you be my girlfriend?” Ashlyn asks.

 

Ali pulls back and grabs Ashlyn’s face in her hands. “Of course,” she grins, leaning back down to kiss Ashlyn again. When they next come up for air, Ali gets off of Ashlyn’s lap and reaches down to take her hand, helping her off the couch. “Want to go use your Christmas present?”

 

Ashlyn nods eagerly and allows Ali to drag her into the master bathroom. When Ali starts the water and drops one of the bathbombs in the tub, Ashlyn grabs Ali’s hips from behind and spins her around in her arms. “Hi,” Ashlyn grins.

 

“Hi.”

 

They help one another slip out of their clothes as the bath fills with warm, fragrant water. When they’re completely bare and the water is high enough, Ashlyn takes Ali’s hand and helps her into the tub before stepping in herself. For the time being, they sit across from one another with their backs against the walls of the tub.

 

“Yeah, I could get used to this,” Ashlyn sighs. The entire room is filled with a pleasant mixture of jasmine and sage and she can’t get enough of it.

 

“Did I tell you what this one is?” Ali asks. When Ashlyn shakes her head, Ali smirks. “It’s the sex bomb.”

 

Ashlyn leans forward in the tub, steadying herself by resting her hands on Ali’s thighs and pulls Ali into a deep kiss. When they break apart, she’s blushing slightly which Ali finds incredibly endearing.

 

“You’re cute when you blush,” Ali says, stroking Ashlyn’s cheek with her thumb.

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty adorable,” Ashlyn agrees. She’s about to move back to her spot across from Ali when Ali shakes her head and pulls her close once again.

 

“Turn around,” Ali says. Ashlyn complies with the request and Ali pulls her onto her lap, wrapping her arms around Ashlyn’s strong, toned torso. Ashlyn relaxes against her girlfriend and they sit together in the warm bath. “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too.”

 

Eventually, Ali grows tired of just sitting there so she starts kissing Ashlyn’s neck from behind, smirking as Ashlyn lets out a moan. She nips and sucks just enough to turn them on without worrying about leaving marks that will be difficult to conceal. Finally, Ashlyn turns back around to capture Ali’s lips in a deep, hungry kiss that leaves both of them breathless and desperate for more.

 

“Let’s go to bed,” Ashlyn suggests.

 

They get out of the tub and quickly dry themselves off before heading back into the bedroom where they lie facing each other in Ali’s bed. They stare at one another for a minute, sporting matching grins. It takes Ali a while to convince herself that this is real but when she does, she can’t wait any longer and moves to pull Ashlyn into a kiss, cradling the back of Ashlyn’s head with her hand.

 

She pours every emotion into the kiss and Ashlyn responds in kind. They move together so easily and so in sync that it almost feels as if they’ve been together for years rather than mere weeks.

 

First, Ali uses her fingers to make Ashlyn come as they continue kissing but as Ashlyn comes down from her high, Ali scoots down the bed and replaces her fingers with her tongue and quickly drives Ashlyn to orgasm once again. When it’s time for Ashlyn to repay the favor, she takes the opposite approach and draws things out for so long that by the time Ali comes, she’s far too exhausted and sensitive for another round and they simply curl up together and bask in their post sex bliss.

 

They don’t bother to get dressed the rest of the evening, even eating their dinner naked in bed while New Year’s coverage plays on tv. When the time comes, they count down the last ten seconds of the year in unison before kissing each other sweetly.

 

“Happy new year,” Ashlyn says.

 

“Happy new year,” Ali replies, kissing Ashlyn again. She knows this year will bring more changes and challenges but for now, she’s perfectly content to enjoy the moment in her girlfriend’s arms without any worries.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little bit of fluff for your weekend :)
> 
>  
> 
> Ashlyn's gift: http://abeautifulmess.com/2014/11/marbled-clay-ring-dish.html


	6. like a happy pill

 

“Hey babe,” Ashlyn greets, letting herself into Ali’s house one Saturday in January. They’ve been together for a month now and to celebrate, Ali is making lasagna and cheesy garlic bread. Ashlyn quickly finds Ali preparing the lasagna in the kitchen and wraps her arms around her from behind. 

 

“Hey,” Ali grins. She spins in Ashlyn’s arms and gives her a quick kiss before returning her attention to dinner prep. She was supposed to get the lasagna in the oven nearly an hour ago but got more than a little sidetracked talking to her mom on the phone. 

Ali gushed about Ashlyn for over an hour. She’s always loved the beginning of new relationships when everything is fresh and exciting but in all of her previous relationships, the excitement eventually gives way to the reality that they weren’t meant to be together. Sometimes it took only a few months and sometimes it took a year or two but they all ended just the same. It’s still early with Ashlyn but she has a really, really good feeling about where they’re heading. 

 

She falls for Ashlyn a little more every day. She’s sweet and attentive and is wonderful with kids (hence the career in education) which, as Ali gets older, becomes more and more important to her. In fact, her last relationship ended because she and her girlfriend at the time couldn’t agree on whether to have kids or not (Ali wants kids and her ex didn’t) and, eventually, it became clear that neither was willing to compromise. But Ashlyn loves kids as much or more than Ali does and there’s no worry that they both want the same things in life. Ashlyn is funny and kind and they always manage to have a good time together no matter what they’re doing. She has high hopes for this relationship and was eager to talk to her mom about Ashlyn. 

 

Ali tries to focus on finishing the lasagna as best as she can but when Ashlyn starts playing slow jams from her phone, she can’t help but sway her hips to the music. She looks over her shoulder at Ashlyn who is now sitting on the counter and watching her every move. “Enjoying the view?” she teases. 

 

“Mmmm, best view in the world right here,” Ashlyn replies. 

 

Ali rolls her eyes and puts the last layer of shredded cheese on the lasagna. She carefully puts it in the oven and quickly sets a timer on her phone before turning to Ashlyn. 

 

“Hi,” she grins. She stands in between Ashlyn’s legs and smiles as Ashlyn leans down for a kiss. When the pull apart, she lazily traces her fingers on Ashlyn’s thighs and smiles up at her girlfriend. 

 

“Someone's in a good mood tonight,” Ashlyn says. 

 

“I’m just happy you’re here.” She kisses Ashlyn again and moves to the sink to pour two glasses of water. She hasn't even pulled the glasses from the cupboard when Ashlyn jumps down off of the counter and grabs her from behind. She spins Ali around until they're facing one another and wraps her arms around her waist. 

 

“You look beautiful tonight,” Ashlyn says as she starts swaying to the music with Ali in her arms. 

 

“I always look beautiful,” Ali sasses. She's wearing a simple black cotton dress but the way Ashlyn is looking at her has her feeling like she's wearing a million dollar gown. 

 

“So humble.” 

 

They move together to the music playing from Ashlyn’s phone. Ali rests her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder as they move around the kitchen. Ashlyn takes the lead and as the song comes to a close, she surprises Ali by twirling her around. Ali lets out a surprised laugh and when Ashlyn spins her back into her arms, Ali looks deep into Ashlyn’s eyes. There’s the usual warmness housed in them as well as a little hint of mischief at their spontaneous dance in the kitchen. 

 

Ali tries to turn the tables and spin Ashlyn around underneath her arm but Ashlyn is a few inches taller than her and has to duck and even then she barely clears the underside of Ali’s arm and her perfectly coiffed hair brushes Ali’s arm, messing it up a little.

 

“Watch it,” Ashlyn teases. 

 

“Sorry,” Ali grins. She reaches out and attempts to smooth the mussed hair. “There, still beautiful,” she says. 

 

“Me or the hair?” 

 

“Both.” She stands on her toes and loops her arms around Ashlyn’s neck for a kiss, which Ashlyn eagerly reciprocates.  They move slowly, losing themselves in the kiss until they’re both breathless and flushed. When they finally pull apart, Ali rests her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder and they sway to the music once again. 

 

“I could do this forever,” Ashlyn says quietly. She holds Ali close, her arms looped around Ali’s waist and her hands resting on her ass. 

 

“Let’s just not go to work ever again,” Ali replies. “We’ll just stay right here in my kitchen. We won’t have to worry about anyone or anything.”

 

“Except maybe foreclosure if you don’t make your house payments.” 

 

“Damn, I knew there was gonna be a catch,” Ali teases. “Guess we just have to enjoy our weekend before we have to go back to work.” 

 

“I say we’re off to a pretty good start.” 

 

The lasagna still has to bake for a while so they head into the living room where they sit together on the couch. They don’t turn the tv on and they don’t even really say anything, just basking in one another’s presence and enjoying their time together. After just a month, there’s already a level of comfortability to their relationship and Ali loves these quiet, simple moments together without looking over their shoulders that someone is going to catch them.

 

~

 

As they’ve settled into their relationship, they’ve been extremely careful to keep it a secret from everyone at school, including Kelley. Nearly every date they go on, they’re careful to go a little outside of town to avoid anyone they might know. 

 

More than anything, they worry about Joanne finding out and since she lives down the street from Ali, this is pretty tricky. Luckily, Ali lives on a corner lot and her driveway and garage face the cross street while her front door faces the same street Joanne lives on. Although they’re pretty sure that Joanne doesn’t know what kind of car Ashlyn drives, they’re still careful to have Ashlyn park in the garage and come into the house that way when she’s over to avoid the possibility of Joanne seeing her altogether.  

 

The only time they slip up is when Ali picks Ashlyn up for their dinner date one Sunday. Since it’s Sunday, they eat relatively early and then head back to Ali’s place to take full advantage of each other’s company. At some point, they both drift off to sleep and don’t wake until Ali’s alarm goes off on Monday morning, signaling that it’s time for her to get ready for work. After a little panic on both ends over not wanting to show up to school together, they finally agree that Ali will get ready as quickly as possible and then drop Ashlyn off at her apartment so she can get ready too. They don’t have time to eat breakfast so Ali picks up several boxes of donuts for the staff lounge on her way to school, figuring it’ll be less suspicious if there’s something for everyone rather than just enough food for her and Ashlyn. 

 

Even more complicated than hiding their relationship from Joanne is their friends’ insistence on finding them dates for Valentine’s Day. 

 

Whitney gets on Ashlyn’s case pretty early on and promises her that she knows an awesome woman that Ashlyn would really like. She tries to set them up several times before Valentine’s Day but Ashlyn always comes up with an excuse why she can’t go. Finally, she tells Whitney that she really appreciates the gesture but that she doesn’t really want to start something right now and that she’s perfectly fine spending the day alone. 

 

Ali, meanwhile, has to fend off countless questions from HAO and Kelley about her plans for the romantic holiday. Like Ashlyn, Ali says that she’s fine being single at the moment which doesn’t satisfy Heather at all. 

 

“I’m just saying that you should try to find someone soon so we can double date sometimes,” Heather says over lunch a few days before Valentine’s Day. 

 

“I would love to, honestly,” Ali replies. “But you know I’m always so focused on work that I don’t ever have time to think about dating.” 

 

Heather gives Ali a sympathetic look. They both have a lot of responsibilities at work so she definitely understands where Ali is coming from but she still wants to see her friend find someone who can make her happy. “I know and I’m not pestering you, I just want you to find someone. I care about you a lot.” 

 

“I appreciate it but I’m okay, really. I’ll find someone when I find someone and there’s no use stressing about it right now.” 

 

While Heather easily accepts Ali’s explanation, when Kelley brings up dating, she prods a little more. In December, Ali told her that she might want to try with Ashlyn but when Kelley asked again in January, Ali said that she figured it wasn’t worth the risk and that she’s over it. Now that Valentine’s Day is coming up, Kelley is curious to know how Ali is feeling and requests to have lunch in her office so they can talk. 

 

“So you’re really not into Ashlyn anymore?” Kelley questions. 

 

“I never said I’m not into her,” Ali replies. “I said that I don’t want to risk my career and that I’m over it. I had to decide what was more important and I did.” 

 

Kelley narrows her eyes but doesn’t say anything. They eat in silence for a minute before Kelley can’t stand it anymore. “Okay but how did you get over it? It seems like it happened overnight and you already told me that you wanted to try with her. Those feelings don’t magically go away.” 

 

Ali sighs and weighs her options here. She can continue with the lie she’s told Kelley and has maintained for nearly two months now in the hopes that Kelley doesn’t figure it out or she can tell her the truth. Since Kelley is the one person who already kind of knew about their situation, she decides to go with the latter. “Okay, fine,” Ali sighs. “Ashlyn and I are together. Have been for almost two months now.” 

 

“Holy shit,” Kelley exclaims. “Someone has been practicing her lying skills.” 

 

Ali shrugs. “I don’t have any other choice.” 

 

“Two months though, really? Are things getting serious?” 

 

“Kind of,” Ali grins. “I think I’m gonna tell her I love her on Valentine’s Day.”

 

“Oh my god,” Kelley exclaims. “That’s huge and a little cheesy but isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about? But why didn’t you tell me you’re together? You know I kept your secret before and I definitely wouldn’t tell anyone about this.” 

 

“I know, Kel, but we didn’t want there to be any possible way for it to get out. We’re still settling in and figuring things out as we go. It’s not like I wanted to keep it from you--if I could, I’d tell everyone but I can’t.”

 

“I get it,” Kelley nods. “So how is it?” 

 

Ali gives Kelley a few tidbits about the last few months, going back to their first date and the quiet New Year’s they spent together. It’s been a good few months and it hasn’t been too difficult to keep it a secret so far so they plan on seeing out the rest of the school year before deciding what to do over summer vacation. That way, if either has to resign or is fired, it’ll be over the summer rather than suddenly leaving during the school year. 

 

As Ali talks, she has to admit to herself that it feels really good to let Kelley back in. She doesn’t regret keeping it from her for the last few months but she knows that Kelley is in their corner and would never tell anyone about their situation. It’s nice to have someone other than her family in the know and, selfishly, they can probably use Kelley when they disclose their relationship to the district. Kelley has seen first hand that they’ve kept their working relationship extremely professional and when it comes down to it, it’s good that there’s someone who will be able to vouch for them when the time comes. 

 

Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day falls in the middle of the week this year so they can’t go too crazy with a night out and free flowing wine. Instead, they have a quiet dinner at Ali’s house and, as an extra special treat: they plan for Ashlyn to stay the night. Ashlyn usually only sleeps over on the weekends so they can go through their normal morning routines on workdays (and avoid the risk of Joanne seeing Ashlyn) but they make a special exception for the holiday. 

 

Ali makes a delicious and hearty meal of steak, broccoli, and mashed potatoes and by the time they’re finished, there are hardly any left overs. 

 

“Holy shit, that was so good,” Ashlyn compliments. She unbuttons her pants, giving herself more room to breathe after the big meal. 

 

“Glad you liked it,” Ali laughs. 

 

“I hope you weren’t looking to get lucky tonight because I’m way too full to move. But, you know, for you I’d definitely try,” Ashlyn says, winking at her girlfriend.

 

“Actually, my period started yesterday so there’s not much we can do there anyway. You know I’ll make it up to you in a few days but for now I think we’re in for a long night of hardcore cuddling.” 

 

“I understand,” Ashlyn shrugs. “Wait, what the hell is hardcore cuddling?” she laughs. 

 

“You know, so close that we might suffocate and if you pay attention to the tv or your phone I’ll whine because that means you’re not paying enough attention to me. Regular cuddling is more casual.” 

 

“Of course, I can’t believe I didn’t know that,” Ashlyn jokes. “Does hardcore cuddling involve me playing with your hair until you fall asleep?” She’s quickly learned that Ali loves having her hair played with and that it’s a sure fire way to get her to fall asleep, even during times when she’s restless or isn’t that sleepy. She knows that if they’re going to switch on and off that Ali needs to play with her hair first because once she plays with Ali’s, she’ll be asleep within fifteen minutes. 

 

“It does now,” Ali smiles. 

 

They remain seated at the table and sip their wine for a while longer before deciding to move into Ali’s bedroom, where they start watching a romantic comedy while cuddling in Ali’s bed. Other than being on her period, it’s one of the best Valentine’s Days Ali has ever had. 

 

With Ashlyn, there’s no pressure to be anything other than herself and it’s one of the things Ali loves so much about their relationship. She doesn’t have to worry about impressing Ashlyn (though she loves to dress up for her and surprise her with dates and the like) and she loves knowing that she’s with someone who loves the real her, who loves her goofy side as much as her romantic side and who wouldn’t ask her to change a thing. 

 

She finally, finally has someone she can imagine a future with. 

 

She went into education because she loves kids and has always hoped to have a family of her own one day. When she was younger, she always thought she would have at least one child by the time she turned 30 but when she started working, she was so determined to climb the ladder that she didn’t leave herself much time to focus on personal relationships. Through it all, her desire to have a family has only gotten stronger and she knows that now is the time to put as much into her relationships as she does into her work. 

 

It’s still early in their relationship but Ali can picture having it all with Ashlyn. She can already imagine them moving in together in a few months when Ashlyn finally decides that she can’t deal with her roommate anymore. She’s reluctant to think too far ahead but she’s seen Ashlyn FaceTime with her little cousin and she knows she’ll be a good mother when and if the time comes. 

 

She gets a little emotional the longer she thinks so she snuggles impossibly closer to Ashlyn and runs a hand through the short hairs at the nape of Ashlyn’s neck. The first step to it all is to say what’s been on her mind for the last few weeks.

 

“I love you, Ash,” Ali says quietly. 

 

Ashlyn turns in Ali’s embrace to meet her eyes, her dimple showing as she smiles. “Yeah?”

 

Ali nods and bites her bottom lip as tears form in her eyes. “Yeah.” 

 

“I love you too,” Ashlyn replies with a massive, dimple showing grin. “Thank you for tonight.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little more fluff and some major groundwork for future chapters ;)


	7. all we do is fear

 

Now that they’re at a place in their relationship where they say ‘I love you’, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it becomes harder and harder to keep everything a secret. They both want to tell people so that’s certainly not the issue, nor is the fact that they still agree to wait until summer vacation to disclose their relationship to the district.

 

What does cause a divide are the small things. Small things that when left unchecked, come back as a very big thing.

 

The differences start in mid-March once the newness of their relationship has worn off and they’ve settled into their patterns.

 

Ali is more than happy to have most of their dates in the privacy of her home where they don’t have to worry about anyone seeing them. Ashlyn generally doesn’t mind these dates because she too likes the privacy they offer but sometimes she just wants to take Ali out on a real date. She mentions this to Ali who seems to have no problem going on dates as long as they’re far enough away from their school district to avoid anyone seeing them or at least somewhere with big crowds such as Disney or Universal. This is a compromise that works for both of them for a while but eventually, it becomes kind of frustrating to drive thirty minutes each way just for a simple dinner date.

 

Ashlyn’s frustrations lead to their first real fight over whether or not they’re being overly cautious. Ashlyn argues that they are a little too careful and that most people won’t assume they’re on a date if they go to the movies over the weekend, especially if they go during the day. They’ve never given people at school (other than Kelley, of course) a reason to suspect there’s something more between them so going to the local theater wouldn’t be the end of the world.

 

Ali maintains that it’s better to be overly cautious than draw suspicions. Neither of them wants to leave in the middle of the school year so they might as well be extra careful so they’re not forced into something before they’re ready. Besides, she doesn’t see why would they go to the local theater and act like they’re just friends seeing a movie when they could drive a little longer and get to hold hands and buy their tickets together rather than separately.

 

Both women argue their points and, in the end, Ali manages to convince Ashlyn that it’s worth it to be a little extra cautious. They have excellent makeup sex (which they both enjoy) and settle back into their cautious ways.

 

~

 

By the time Deb comes for a visit over spring break, Ali and Ashlyn are in a good place once again.

 

“Hi, honey,” Deb greets, pulling Ali into a hug as soon as Ali opens the door.

 

“Hi, Mom.” Ali hugs her mother tightly, kissing her cheek before they separate.

 

“So where’s your girl?” Deb questions. She looks around the living room, hoping to see the woman Ali has spoken so much about.

 

“What I’m dating someone now and suddenly I’m not enough for you?” Ali teases.

 

“Of course you’re enough, sweetheart. I’ve just heard so much about her that I’m excited to finally meet the woman who captured your heart.”

 

Ali takes Deb’s small suitcase and wheels it into the guest bedroom, placing it in the corner. They sit across from one another on the bed and Ali smiles just being in her mother’s presence. Though they live in the same state now which is a vast improvement from when Ali lived in DC, they’re still a few hours apart so they don’t get to see each other nearly as much as they would like, particularly when Ali is busy during the school year. Spring break is the perfect time for Deb to visit because she gets away from the crowds in Miami and gets to spend a few days with Ali. “She’ll be here soon, I promise. We initially planned on her beating you here but she’s a little nervous and can’t decide what she wants to wear. It’s kind of cute, actually. We spent over an hour on FaceTime as she tried on nearly everything she owns.”

 

“Ahh, she’s a good one,” Deb smiles. “Did you tell her that she has nothing to be nervous about?”

 

“Of course but that doesn’t mean she listened.”

 

“It’s always good when they’re a little nervous,” Deb grins.

 

Ali and Deb spend nearly fifteen minutes catching up before Ashlyn finally arrives. As usual, she parks in the garage and lets herself inside. Ali doesn't even know that she has arrived until Ashlyn gently knocks on the slightly ajar bedroom door.

 

“You can come in,” Ali says.

 

Ashlyn pushes the door open the rest of the way and Ali smirks at the outfit she picked. Her girlfriend is wearing tight black jeans paired with a loose fitting white t-shirt and her distressed light denim jacket. A gold watch and a few matching bracelets adorn her wrist. The jeans happen to be Ali’s favorite and she can't help but check her out.

 

“Ash, this is my mom. Mom, this is Ashlyn,” Ali says as she and Deb both stand to greet Ashlyn.

 

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Ashlyn says, sticking her hand out to shake Deb’s hand, but Deb just waves her off and pulls her into a hug instead.

 

“Call me Deb.”

 

“Okay,” Ashlyn replies. She hugs Deb back and when they pull apart, she nervously stuffs her hands into her pockets and stands there as Deb sizes her up a little.

 

“You’re just as beautiful as Alex told me,” Deb finally says. She reaches out to touch Ashlyn’s shoulder and smiles warmly at her daughter’s girlfriend.

 

“Alex, huh?” Ashlyn asks, a smirk on her lips.

 

“My family has always called me that,” Ali explains with a shrug.

 

Ashlyn grins and gives Ali a quick, chaste kiss. “It’s cute.”

 

Now that Ashlyn has arrived, the trio heads out to the living room where both Ashlyn and Deb settle onto the couch. “Do either of you want a drink?” Ali asks.

 

“Wine,” Deb answers quickly, eliciting a laugh from Ashlyn.

 

“So that’s where you get it,” Ashlyn teases.

 

Ali shrugs. She takes after her mom in many ways and there’s no one else she would rather look to as a role model. “I don’t just get my good looks from her.”

 

“You do look a lot like her,” Ashlyn agrees. “It’s good to know that you’ll still be breathtaking when you’re older.”

 

“Kiss ass,” Ali mutters.

 

“She can be a kiss ass all she wants as long as she’s calling us beautiful,” Deb says.

 

“I can’t believe there are two of you,” Ashlyn groans.

 

“Oh, wait until you meet Kyle in person,” Ali replies. “He’s the biggest queen of us all. Do you want wine?”

 

“Will you just get me a beer out of the fridge? I think we had some left from the other day.”

 

Ali nods and walks into the kitchen to get their drinks. Since her house has an open floor plan, she doesn’t actually leave the room so she listens in as Ashlyn and Deb get to know each other. Ashlyn is as charming as ever and they bond pretty immediately about their careers in education. She hangs back in the kitchen for a little longer than necessary to watch two of her favorite people interact. When her mom starts telling an embarrassing story from her childhood, she carries their drinks out to them in the hope that she can put a stop to it.

 

“Poor little seven year old Alex couldn’t handle girl scout camp,” Ashlyn says with faux sympathy as Ali hands her the open bottle of beer.

 

“Five minutes together and you tell her that story?” Ali asks, turning to her mom.

 

“Sorry, honey, it was just too cute how you snuck your chaperone’s phone to call me in the middle of the night. I’ll never forget your cute little voice asking to come home because you didn’t like being away from us or your brother. You were such a sweet kid--when you and Kyle weren’t being mischievous, at least. I can only hope that my grand babies are as sweet as you were.”

 

“You are relentless,” Ali laughs.

 

“A lot of my friends already have grandchildren. You can't blame me,” Deb shrugs.

 

“If all your friends jumped off of a bridge, would you do it?” Ali asks, throwing back the question Deb asked countless times during her and Kyle’s teen years.

 

“See? Already acting like a mother,” Deb smiles.

 

Ali rolls her eyes. “You're impossible,” she laughs.

 

Luckily, Deb takes it pretty easy on them and doesn’t turn the conversation to Ashlyn by asking if she wants children. They both do want kids but it’s much too early to consider having kids together so they haven’t discussed it beyond mentioning their individual desires to be a mom one day.

 

When it comes time for everyone to go to bed a few hours later, Ashlyn says her goodbyes so she can go back to her place. She says goodbye to Ali first and then turns to Deb.

 

“It was really nice to finally meet you,” Ashlyn says. “We’re all on for lunch tomorrow, right?”

 

“Don’t think you have to leave because I’m here,” Deb replies. “I’m more of a guest here than you are.”

 

“Yeah, Ash, you should stay,” Ali says. She knows that Ashlyn would rather stay the night but likely didn’t want to assume she could with Deb in town. She probably figured that Ali would want some time alone with her mom but Ali loves having both of them around and wants Ashlyn to stay.

 

“Fine by me,” Ashlyn shrugs. She’d never turn down the opportunity to spend the night with Ali.

 

“Night, girls,” Deb says, heading down the hall to the guest room, leaving Ali and Ashlyn standing in the living room together.

 

“She loves you,” Ali says, wrapping her arms around Ashlyn. “She loves you and I love you.”

 

Ashlyn grins as she leans down to kiss Ali. “She’s great. I love you too.”

 

As they get ready for bed that night, Ali thinks about how happy she is that they’re in a good place once again. They had a few rocky moments in the last few weeks but now she feels really, really good.

 

Little does she know, the worst of their troubles are yet to come.

 

~

 

The big blowup happens one warm Friday night in April. They share a nice romantic dinner at Ali’s house and it’s shaping up to be a good night for the couple. That is, until Ashlyn brings up a rumor she’s heard.

 

“Is it true that the girl’s varsity assistant soccer coach left and you’re in the process of looking for a new one for next season?” Ashlyn asks.

 

Ali shifts in Ashlyn’s arms a little to look at her girlfriend. They’re seated together on the living room couch and watching a true crime show on Netflix. Ali reaches for the AppleTV remote to pause their episode so they don’t miss anything. “Yeah, it’s kind of a pain in the ass. It doesn’t pay much at all so hardly anyone wants to do it.”

 

“I should do it,” Ashlyn suggests. “I mean, you know I played all through high school and I’ve always thought about coaching at either the youth level or high school. I would totally do it.”

 

Ali sighs and turns to fully face Ashlyn. “I can’t do that. Conflict of interest.”

 

“This entire relationship is a conflict of interest,” Ashlyn notes. “Come on, I’d be good at it.”

 

“No, Ashlyn, you don’t understand that I really can’t give it to you. It doesn’t pay much but it does pay and when we disclose our relationship, it’ll look really, really bad for me to have hired you to a paid position. And if they find out about us before we tell them it’ll look even worse.”

 

“But if we explain to them that no one was interested and that I was likely the best person for the job anyway, wouldn’t they understand?”

 

Ali shakes her head and runs a hand through her hair. She thought they were on the same page here that they had to keep their relationship completely separate from their careers and yet here Ashlyn is asking for an additional paid position while they’re at home. Even if they were speaking about this at school, Ali wouldn’t be able to do it and she certainly can’t agree to this while they’re off of school grounds. “Whether or not they would understand is besides the point. The point is that my job is on the line and this would look even worse when the district finds out.”

 

“Your job isn’t the only one that’s on the line,” Ashlyn says and Ali immediately knows they’re not talking about the coaching position anymore. “You always want to act like you’re the only one that can be hurt when this all comes out. Guess what, it’s gonna blow up in my face too.”

 

“I never said my job is the only one on the line,” Ali reasons, trying to calm things before it turns into a full blown fight.

 

“But you act like it. You act like because you’re the principal that your job is more important to you than mine is to me,” Ashlyn snaps.

 

“Jesus, Ashlyn, will you stop putting words in my mouth? Maybe what you’re perceiving is that I’m worried that I’m more likely to take all the heat for our relationship. I’m the one in the position of power here and it’s gonna look really fucking bad when they find out because they’re gonna think that I used my position to get you to date me.”

 

“Yeah, and they’re gonna think that I dated you to get ahead.”

 

“Is that not what you just attempted to do? Because asking me to hire you for a paid position at all let alone at home is really fucking unfair.”

 

“Well I guess this entire thing is unfair then,” Ashlyn says. She drops her head into her hands and takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. After a minute of silence, she turns to Ali again. “What’s the plan here, then? When we tell the district what’s the plan? What do we do if they ask one of us to resign?”

 

Ali shrugs. “I was thinking you would resign,” she offers. She’s thought about it a lot and if makes sense logically. Teacher jobs are easier to find than principal jobs so it would likely be much easier for Ashlyn to find a new job. Besides, if a new school district happens to know or find out why they left their previous job(s), they would likely take much more kindly to the teacher who dated their principal than the other way around.

 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Ashlyn exclaims. “You just assumed I would resign and go somewhere else?”

 

“I didn’t assume anything but I thought it would be easier for you to find another job,” Ali explains. “Principal jobs don’t open up nearly as often as teaching positions. It just makes more sense. Besides, the main reason I’ve stayed in the area for so long is because I love the school and the people there. If I leave, I might want to look for jobs back in DC.” As much as she would like to, she doesn’t dare bring up that she’s been at Oakwood longer than Ashlyn. She knows Ashlyn loves the school and her students and such an argument would only make things worse.

 

“Oh, great,” Ashlyn says sarcastically. “So you’d resign so we could be together and then immediately pack your bags so we have to do long distance? How is that being together? Really sound logic there, Al.”

 

“Can you just stop?” Ali asks quietly. “It’s clear that you want to fight me no matter what I say so let’s just cool off for a minute and talk about this when we’re more level headed.”

 

“No, we need to talk about this now because I can’t do it anymore. So much of our relationship has been about what you want. We didn’t get together until you were ready and we can’t go places around here together even if people wouldn’t assume we’re on a date because you would rather drive to the end of the earth to protect your job. And now that I know you assume I’ll resign, I know damn well none of it is about protecting both of our jobs, it’s about protecting you and you alone. Maybe you don’t realize it but it’s selfish, Ali. It’s really fucking selfish and I don’t think I can do it anymore. I can’t be with someone who expects me to leave my job otherwise you’ll move back to DC. How is that fair at all? How does that give me a say in any of this?”

 

“Come on, Ash, we don’t have to do this right now. For all we know, we might not even have a choice when the district finds out so why argue about hypotheticals?”

 

Ashlyn stands and faces Ali. “The selfishness behind it is not hypothetical and that’s why we have to do this. So we’ll just put a stop to all this and we both get to keep our jobs.” She leaves Ali sitting there on the couch and moves around the living room to gather her things. Once she seems satisfied that she has everything (though she doesn’t go into Ali’s bedroom to get her belongings from in there), she leaves without another word.

 

Ali wants to say something, to fight for Ashlyn a little more but she’s so stunned at this turn of events that she doesn’t know what to say. So she just sits there in silence as Ashlyn gathers her things. When Ashlyn slams the door behind her, Ali finally breaks down in tears. She has no idea how things went so wrong but deep down she knows that Ashlyn has a point. It wasn’t fair to throw the DC thing out there while they were arguing. Yes, it’s something she considered as an option if she loses her job but it should have been something she and Ashlyn discussed together when and if the time came. It should not have been used in an argument as a way to get Ashlyn to agree to be the one to resign from Oakwood.

 

Ali cries herself to sleep on the couch and in the morning, it’s all she can do to brush her teeth and move into bed where she stays all day. She reeling from the loss of her relationship, a relationship that no matter what Ashlyn believes, was important enough to her to put her career on the line. She didn’t go into this relationship lightly and through it all, she always knew there was a possibility to lose her job, whether by choice or not. But Ashlyn was worth it.

 

Ashlyn was worth every risk. She was worth the sneaking around and the lying because Ali is in love with her. If Ashlyn would listen to her, maybe Ali would have a chance. But Ashlyn is as stubborn as ever and no matter how many times Ali texts or calls her, there’s no response.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the whole time I was writing this I was like i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry. I hated doing this to them BUT it felt necessary because they tried to live in their happy bubble for a little too long :/ 
> 
> So, let me hear it.  
> Who do you agree with more?  
> Was Ali selfish like Ashlyn said or was her logic sound?  
> What do you think it'll be like for them at school now?  
> What do you think could be a potential catalyst for them to get back together? I'm particularly interested in this one because without giving too much away, I write endgame a team sooo, deduce there ;) I want to hear your ideas and see how close you get.  
> Finally, on a scale of 1-10 how much do you hate me right now? :P


	8. heartbreak by design

 

Being Ashlyn’s boss and her girlfriend was sometimes awkward. Being Ashlyn’s boss and her ex-girlfriend is an exquisite form of torture. 

 

Top top everything off, Ali comes down with a cold just in time for school on Monday. Combined with the breakup, she feels horrible mentally and physically. Nevertheless, she heads to the staff lounge first thing Monday morning in the hope that Ashlyn will continue this little tradition. They were friends before and Ali hopes that they can be friends again even if their romantic relationship is over. Ashlyn is nowhere to be found, however, and Ali drinks her coffee alone, trying not to cry before trekking back to her office. 

 

When she walks through the main office, Heather is out there talking to the secretaries about an attendance issue. When she sees Ali walk in, she thanks them and follows Ali into her office. 

 

“You okay?” Heather asks, voice full of concern. 

 

“I have a horrible cold,” Ali answers. For the first time, she’s thankful that she was hit with a cold at the same time as her breakup because at least it explains why she doesn’t look too great. It’s the perfect cover. “My head hurts, my throat hurts,”  _ my heart hurts,  _ she adds mentally, “and I think I pulled an ab muscle coughing last night. It’s all horrible.” 

 

“I’m sorry, Al,” Heather coos. “Do you want to take the day off? Your trusty VP can handle everything here.” 

 

“No, I’m gonna try to rally,” Ali replies. She considered calling in this morning but she just spent all weekend alone with her thoughts and she can’t do another day of it. She needs to push through to get over this breakup. Ali needs to be at school even though it’ll mean coming face to face with the woman who broke her heart. Especially because it’ll mean coming face to face with the woman who broke her heart. They can’t avoid each other forever so the sooner they get back to a normal working relationship, the better off they’ll be.

 

“Okay well let me know if you need anything,” Heather says. 

 

Luckily, Ali has so much work to do that she doesn’t have time to focus on anything than what’s right in front of her. Her head continues to pound all day and when HAO shows up at her office at lunchtime with fresh chicken noodle soup from the diner down the street, a cold bottle of apple juice, and a bunch of different types of cough drops and medicine, she’s never been more thankful for her friend. 

 

“Thanks, HAO, you’re the best,” Ali says appreciatively. 

 

“No problem at all. I hope you feel better.” 

 

Ali eats what she can of the soup and puts the rest in her mini fridge in case she gets hungry later. The apple juice absolutely hits the spot and she manages to drink the whole thing and makes a mental note to stop on her way home to get some more. She manages to make it through day relatively okay but when she gets home that night, she realizes that she’s probably a little too sick to work tomorrow so she texts Heather and the attendance secretary to tell them that she’ll be taking a sick day.

 

As she lies in bed on Tuesday, all she can think about is how she wishes things hadn’t gone wrong with Ashlyn. She loved--still loves--Ashlyn as a friend and a partner and now that they’re broken up, Ali’s not sure which part of their relationship she misses the most. It’s only been a few days and she misses being able to talk to Ashlyn, misses knowing that they’re committed to one another. 

 

If they were still together, she knows Ashlyn would be over helping nurse her back to health. She would be the one to bring her soup for lunch and every brand of cold medicine on the shelf. 

 

But Ashlyn made her choice and she’s stubborn as hell so there’s nothing Ali can do to sway her. The only thing left to do is get on with her life. 

 

~

 

The first time Ali sees Ashlyn is a full week after they broke up. After taking Tuesday and Wednesday off to recover from her cold, Ali had so much to do on Thursday that she didn’t leave her desk all day so the two never crossed paths. On Friday, however, Ashlyn turns up in the staff lounge during A lunch while Ali eats with Becky and Syd. 

 

“Hey, Ash,” Syd greets. “I thought you have B lunch?” 

 

Ashlyn winces slightly as she sees Ali sitting at the long table. “I do but my students have a test today so I switched with Paul for the day. It’s always so hard to get them refocused when we have lunch in the middle of class and especially on a test day so Paul was kind enough to switch.” She readies her food to put in the microwave and avoids eye contact with Ali at all costs as she waits for her food to be ready. When it’s done, she makes a move to leave. 

 

“Aw, you’re not gonna stay?” Syd asks. “Come on, we never get to see you enough because you have a different lunch.” 

 

For a moment, Ali isn’t sure whether she wants Ashlyn to stay or to go. A week ago, they were saying ‘I love you’ and now Ashlyn won’t even look at her. With everything so fresh in their minds, it would probably be easier if Ashlyn left, if she told Syd that she wishes she could stay but she really has to get things ready for the test. 

 

Right now, the memories are as fresh as the pain and one hurts just as bad as the other. 

 

But they do have to work together and even though they’re now broken up, they have to find a way to push what happened between them aside. Ashlyn seems to realize this too because although she’s still reluctant to look Ali’s way, she does sit down at the table and that, at least, is a start. 

 

It’s not terribly difficult to avoid speaking directly to one another with both Becky and Syd in the conversation but when they clear out, Ali and Ashlyn are alone for the first time in a week and Ali knows it’s their opportunity to talk. 

 

“How are you?” Ali tries. 

 

“Just dandy,” Ashlyn quips. 

 

“Please just talk to me. Please,” Ali begs. “You might be ‘just dandy’ but I’m having a hard time here and I want to talk.” 

 

“So talk.” 

 

“I understand what you meant about me being selfish, I really do. It’s absolutely not how I perceived things but it hurt you and I’m sorry that I caused that. I’m not asking you for another chance because I know you have already made up your mind but I do hope that we can at least get back to being friends eventually. In the meantime, we have to work together and we have a lot of mutual friends here so it’s not going to do either one of us any good to ignore or avoid each other.” 

 

Ashlyn crosses her arms over her chest and rolls her eyes up towards the ceiling and holds her gaze there which Ali knows is a sign that she’s trying not to cry. Finally, she meets Ali’s eyes. “Okay.” With that, she stands up, puts her leftovers back into her lunch bag, and throws her garbage away. “See you around,” she says, not waiting for a response before heading out the door. 

 

It’s not perfect but it’s a start and it’s the best Ali can hope for at the moment. 

 

~

 

For so long, Ali and Ashlyn were cautious in their interactions at school so no one would know they were a couple. Now, however, they’re cautious to avoid people finding out that they’re not on the best terms anymore to avoid questions about the circumstances surrounding their falling out. After their lunch discussion, there seems to be an unspoken agreement that they’ll both continue having coffee in the lounge in the morning but they often spend that time scrolling through their phones if they happen to be alone or talking to the people who join them. 

 

Again, only Kelley notices the change (or, at least, is the only one who says anything about it) but she seems to understand that Ali might not want to talk about what happened so she doesn’t pester her for details as she usually might, other than a few passing comments. Once a few weeks pass and things are a little easier, Ali decides that she wants to confide in Kelley and has her come to her office during lunch to talk through things. 

 

“Ash and I broke up,” Ali offers, merely picking at her salad. 

 

“I figured something happened but I didn’t want to ask. I’m sorry, Al.” 

 

“It’s okay. I mean, it’s not really okay but it will be. I’ll get through it.” 

 

“What happened?” 

 

“We had a pretty big fight and she broke up with me. She wanted the assistant varsity soccer coach position and I told her I couldn’t give it to her because it was a conflict of interests. I think everything was getting to her because it just set her off and she wouldn’t listen to anything I said. Then she tried to bring up what we were gonna do when we disclose our relationship to the district and I said that I figured she would resign because it would be easier for her to find another job. Which I still think is true but she said I was selfish for assuming that she would be the one to leave her job. And I said that if I left mine, I might consider going back to DC and finding a position there. I know it wasn’t the right time to bring that up but I did genuinely consider going home if I’m not here at Oakwood but obviously it came across as me trying to force her into agreeing to resign.” 

 

“Oh shit.” 

 

“It wasn’t good, Kel. I wish she would try to talk things through but I don’t blame her for ending things.”

 

“You seem to be holding up pretty well,” Kelley notes. 

 

Ali shrugs. “I have to push through. Obviously we work together so we have to remain professional. I can’t lie, I miss her a lot.”

 

Kelley reaches out and takes Ali’s hand across the desk. “You know I’m here for whatever you need.”

 

“I appreciate you.” 

 

They spend the rest of their lunch talking about other things. Kelley seems to make it her personal mission to make Ali laugh as much as possible which Ali greatly appreciates. By the time Kelley leaves to get back to work, Ali feels lighter than she has in weeks. 

 

She’s been through breakups before and she will get through this one just the same. Sure, this one hurts a little more because she was and still is deeply in love with Ashlyn but things don’t always work out and it’s no use to dwell over the past. She doesn’t have Ashlyn anymore but she has so many other wonderful people and things in her life that will help her get through until it doesn’t hurt anymore.

 

One day, things will work out with someone and all this will be a distant memory. 

 

~

 

It takes another few weeks for Ali to feel a little closer to normal. It’s been a little over a month now since she and Ashlyn broke up and while they don’t go out of their way to see one another, they don’t go out of their way to avoid one another either. They’re friendly but not friends. 

 

One Friday afternoon shakes all the progress she’s made in putting the pieces back together. 

 

She decides to have her lunch in the lounge that day and walks in to find Whitney and Ashlyn eating together. There are a few other teachers eating at the long table but Ali’s not really close enough to any of them to have lunch together so she sits at the far end of the table with Whitney and Ashlyn. 

 

After a few minutes of small talk, Whitney turns to Ali with a sly grin. “So have you heard that Ashlyn here finally has a girl? I’ve tried to set them up for months and Ash finally agreed to go out with her. They’re going on their third date tonight.” 

 

The news that Ashlyn is seeing someone else takes Ali by surprise. She’s not sure why exactly--they both have to move on eventually--but she’s just starting to feel okay and certainly wouldn’t be ready to date someone else so soon after their breakup. The fact that Whitney is so happy about it just twists the knife in Ali’s chest. 

 

“Oh, is she cute?” Ali asks. 

 

_ Is she cuter than me?  _

 

Ashlyn looks very much like she’d rather be anywhere else in the universe right now. She doesn’t answer but it’s no matter because Whitney grins and jumps right in. “She’s beautiful. I think they make a great couple.” 

 

“We’re not a couple,” Ashlyn mumbles. She looks down at her hands, busying herself with picking at a hangnail. 

 

“Anyway,” Whitney says, “she’s really cute and funny and I think she and Ashlyn will be great together.”

 

The questions are ceaseless in Ali’s mind. As much as it pains her, she wants to know everything. She wants to know who this woman is, what she does for a living, if she’s just a rebound or if Ashlyn genuinely sees it going somewhere. She doesn’t ask over lunch but, as luck would have it, this isn’t their only opportunity to talk for the day. 

 

Today just happens to be the day Heather and Ashlyn set to meet to talk about Josh Styles and how he’s doing. Normally, they don’t really include Ali in these discussions but there’s been a pretty big change in him recently so during Ashlyn’s fifth period prep, Heather and Ashlyn show up at Ali’s office to talk. 

 

After just five minutes, however, one of the secretaries walks in and requests Heather to deal with a separate disciplinary issue. Ashlyn makes a move to leave with her but Heather promises that she’ll be back to finish their discussion, leaving Ali and Ashlyn alone together. 

 

“I’m sorry about Whitney,” Ashlyn says. “I didn’t know she was gonna tell you.”

 

“It’s fine. She had no way of knowing.” She pauses for a moment and ponders what question she wants to ask first. The more she thinks about it, however, the more hurt she is that Ashlyn has moved on so easily while she still mourns the loss of their relationship every day. “You moved on pretty quickly,” she finally says, trying to keep her tone light without a hint of the bitterness she feels. 

 

Ashlyn shrugs, lips curling into a regretful smirk. “We were together for four months, Ali, it’s not like we were together for years. How long did you think I would sit around my apartment before putting myself back out there?” 

 

This makes Ali go silent. There are so many other things she wants to say about how she thought that they had something special going and that she’s had a hard time with everything. She wants to tell Ashlyn that she still thinks about her all the time and about how she can’t bring herself to part with any of the belongings Ashlyn left at her place. How she sometimes still pulls Ashlyn’s soft, worn crewneck sweatshirt out of the box in her closet just to breathe in her scent again and to feel like everything is normal for a moment. 

 

Sure, they only dated for four months but with all the buildup and the friendship their relationship was based upon, Ali never thought that Ashlyn could be so blasé about the whole thing just a month after breaking up. 

 

Neither woman says anything and they sit in complete silence for nearly fifteen minutes before Heather returns to discuss the matter at hand. 

 

“Okay so I know I said not to have too much fun without me but you two are acting like someone died,” Heather jokes as she sits back down. 

 

Ali lets out a soft chuckle. “Sorry, I just have a bit of a headache. I think I might be getting a migraine.” 

 

Heather nods her understanding and glances over Josh’s file to see if there’s anything else they absolutely need to go over. “Just a few more things, I promise,” she says, keeping her voice soft to avoid aggravating Ali’s headache. “This quarter has been pretty big for Josh. He’s doing well in math, obviously, but he’s also picked up the pace in English as well. Becky told me that he really got into  _ To Kill a Mockingbird  _ and that he’s been more focused and polite than before.” 

 

“That’s all great,” Ali grins. “What about his other subjects?” 

 

“Still has some problems in biology, social studies, and spanish, unfortunately. And there haven’t been any problems in gym. Compared to where he was last semester, there’s a noticeable difference in him and he’s certainly responded to Ashlyn’s guidance.” 

 

“Well I’m glad to hear it,” Ali says. 

 

Heather looks down at the file once again and when she seems satisfied that they’ve covered the most important points, she closes it and stands, prompting Ashlyn to do the same. “If you’re getting a migraine, you can take the rest of the day off,” Heather says. “I can handle the last period and a half and lock everything up after school.” 

 

“I’ll be okay,” Ali assures. “Would you mind closing my door, though? I think it’ll help without outside noise.” 

 

“Of course,” HAO grins. She lets Ashlyn through the door first and when she steps through after her, she closes the door as quietly as possible, as if there’s a sleeping baby in the room. 

 

Ali watches through the window on her door as Heather stops to talk to the secretaries for a moment. At one point, she gestures back to Ali’s office and Ali figures she must be telling them about the phantom migraine. When the rest of the day passes without a single visitor to Ali’s office or any calls forwarded to her, she knows her assumption must have been correct. 

 

She never thought that the lying would continue after she and Ashlyn split yet here she is, lying once again to one of her closest friends. One who is so good and who cares about her enough to field any end of day issues so Ali can have a little quiet time and recover from a migraine that isn’t there. 

 

Combined with the short conversation she had with Ashlyn, it’s a little too much for Ali to handle. She gets up from her desk and moves to close the blinds on the door window and shuts her lights off as everyone in the office goes about their final tasks for the week now that school is officially out. When she sits back down, she rests her head on her desk and cries. 

 

She cries for over an hour, until she has no more tears left. She cries so long that by the time she goes into the staff bathroom to wash her face, the janitors are the only other people left in the school and even they are almost done with their tasks. 

 

As she locks up the school and sets the alarms, she’s struck with resentment for her job. After all, her job is the reason she and Ashlyn shouldn’t have been together in the first place. It’s the reason they constantly looked over their shoulders, why they couldn’t be honest with the people they spend most of their time with. 

 

Her job is the reason they shouldn’t have been together and it’s the reason they broke up. Ali has never minded sacrificing for her job before. She never minded the long, strenuous hours or putting her personal life on hold for her students and staff. But this, her relationship with Ashlyn, is a bigger sacrifice than she ever should have been forced to make.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some angst for your Sunday ;) 
> 
> I hope to have the next chapter up early this week but first I have a few more questions for you. 
> 
> Has your opinion on the argument changed? Like, if you agreed more with Ashlyn before do you side with Ali more now?   
> Any updated predictions on the catalyst for them to get back together? Who do you think will break through the ice first and in what way (e.g. a soft, emotional profession of love, popping off in anger, some type of grand gesture, etc)?
> 
> Don't hate me too much, I promise this turbulence is almost over. And if you leave lots of comments, I could probably be swayed to update tomorrow (if I have time and motivation after work). Shameless, I know ;)


	9. battle for Troy

 

The end of the school year brings lots of activity. While the students and teachers wind down with smaller workloads and prepare for finals, Ali and Heather have more work than ever. On top of their normal tasks, they now have to draw up performance reviews and talk to each individual teacher and staff member about their performance during the school year. It’s often painfully dull so Ali and Heather always try to make it a little more fun by doing them at Ali’s house over wine one weekend. 

 

This year is no different and when Heather arrives with a bottle of their favorite red wine and her overnight bag for their girls’ working weekend, Ali is ready to get down to business. They work their way through the pile of folders on each teacher, sometimes arguing for or against certain points and trying to agree upon each overall review. 

 

Some reviews are easier than others. 

 

Becky’s, for example, is nearly the same every year. She’s passionate about what she does and she works hard to instill that same passion in her students. She’s fair and helpful and no one ever has a bad thing to say about her. She’s a gift to the school and everyone knows it, including Becky herself. 

 

Whitney’s is always fairly similar as well. She too is an excellent teacher but she’s not the best disciplinarian and sometimes students attempt to take advantage of her. They don’t often succeed because she’s much tougher than she comes across but Ali and Heather would prefer to not deal with it at all so they want her to be a little tougher all the time so it doesn’t get to a point where students try to take advantage of her. 

 

Sydney’s main critique is that she sometimes goes off of the curriculum a little bit. She’s unafraid to call out portions of the history textbook that read as the honest truth but is really patriotic propaganda in disguise. Ali and Heather don’t mind this, of course, as they believe that honest education is the way to go but they do sometimes get complaints from parents about the way Sydney teaches and thus have to address it in the review. 

 

Similarly, as the school’s government teacher, Alex often expresses her own democratic views a little too much, drawing complaints from conservative students and parents. Again, Ali and Heather don’t find this to be much of a problem as long as Alex treats all students with respect (which she does) but a complaint is a complaint and they have to make note of it. 

 

Then there are the bad reviews. 

 

There’s the 11th grade history teacher who favors the football players he coaches over everyone else and who often makes students read quietly from their textbooks or watch a video while he sits in the back of the room and watches football reels on his computer. Unfortunately, he is tenured and there’s not much Ali and Heather can do at the moment. He’s a few years away from retirement and Ali can’t wait for the district to fill that position with someone else. 

 

Joanne’s review is always interesting. Some students respond really well to how strict she is while others have trouble getting along with her and thus struggle to put together a good performance in her class. She’s mostly effective, though, and as much as it pains Ali and Heather, they make note of how most students leave her class understanding the subject better than they ever thought possible. Despite her effectiveness, she does have a fair few complaints from both students and staff which of course need to be addressed. Ali doesn’t necessarily enjoy addressing these points but she certainly doesn’t mind it as much as she minds addressing Syd or Alex’s complaints. 

 

Ali knows that Ashlyn’s file is right in the middle of the stack so when they get close to halfway done around 11:00, she decides it’s time to go to bed. Heather, meanwhile, wants to officially make it halfway through so she looks at the upcoming ones and offers to do a few by herself. 

 

Ali wasn’t sure what exactly her plan was regarding Ashlyn’s review because although they’re broken up, it still might not look good for her to have a hand in her performance review if the district ever gets word of their former relationship. Heather offering to do Ashlyn’s review (as well as others) is a massive weight off of her shoulders. 

 

On Sunday morning, they finish the rest of the reviews in what must be record time and head out to a celebratory brunch with lots and lots of mimosas. 

 

“To another successful year,” Heather says, raising her glass and clinking it against Ali’s 

 

“Hey, it’s not over yet,” Ali laughs. “Don’t celebrate too early.” 

 

~

 

One of everyone’s favorite end of year events is the staff charity basketball game. It started as an annual tradition five years ago when an Oakwood student battled cancer. That year, the proceeds of what became known as the Battle for Troy were donated directly to the family to cover treatment costs and now the proceeds are donated to a non-profit that helps low-income individuals and families cover screening and treatment costs, per Troy’s request when he went into remission.

 

As principal and vice principal, Ali and Heather are team captains and pick their teams in a staff meeting a week before the after school event. 

 

In the end, Ali is pretty happy with her team. Among others, she has Becky, Kelley, and Sydney, all of whom are extremely competitive and would be a good addition to any team. Heather, meanwhile, drafts Ashlyn, Alex, and Whitney to play with her. 

 

On Friday, both teams stay after school for an hour of practice in the separate gyms before the evening event that draws its biggest crowd since the inaugural year. Just before they take the court, Ali gathers her team in a huddle. 

 

“Okay, guys, Heather has kicked my ass the last two years so let’s come out strong and control the pace of the game. I believe in all of you and we’re gonna go out there and win. Blue team on three… one, two, three.”

 

Everyone in the circle shouts “blue team” just seconds before Heather’s team shouts “green team” and with that, the starting lineups take to the court. 

 

Although each team will let everyone play, both Ali and Heather picked their best lineups to start in the hope of coming out strong. To start, Ali went with herself; Kelley; Alyssa, a quiet yet surprisingly competitive anatomy teacher; Serv; and Pete, the tallest teacher in the school. After the first few plays, the score is 5-4 in favor of the green team and Ali subs herself out and puts Becky in. From the sidelines, she switches Syd for Kelley and Michael, the photography and design teacher, for Pete. 

 

Ali stays on the sideline coaching for most of the game but does sub in for a few minutes here and there to give others a break. 

 

At halftime, the score is 30-26 in favor of the blue team and as Ali gives her halftime speech, she overhears Heather’s speech that sounds more like a general leading troops into battle than a high school vice principal coaching a charity basketball game. She knows the green team is going to be fired up at the start of the half but for the moment, it looks like they’re not going with their strongest lineup, save for Ashlyn and Heather herself. Ali decides to use this to her advantage and puts her original starting lineup on the court, the only change being Becky in for Pete who is actually a pretty horrible athlete (both Ali and Heather are fooled by his height every year and draft him unnecessarily high as a result). 

 

When the half begins, the green team is more fired up than Ali expected and they manage to take the lead on an eight point drive. As luck would have it, Ali and Ashlyn end up guarding each other and with both of their competitive natures and lingering bitterness over the end of their relationship, they’re relentless in attempting to neutralize one another. 

 

After the eight point drive for the green team, Becky does manage to pull two back for the blue team but then Kelley concedes a silly foul and the momentum stays with the green team as they sink both free throws. 

 

Determined to swing momentum back in their favor, Ali decides to go for a three point shot. 

 

With Ashlyn guarding her, Ali leaps and shoots the ball from outside the three point line. The shot falls into the basket but Ashlyn is so close as Ali comes down that they bump into one another, causing Ali to land on her foot the wrong way. She immediately crumbles to the ground and clutches her ankle. 

 

The pain is instantaneous and the school nurse rushes over from where she was playing on Heather’s team to check out the damage. With Ali’s foot already swelling and her inability to put weight on it, she has no choice but to tell her to go to urgent care to get it checked out. 

 

“Shit, Al, I’m so sorry,” Ashlyn says, helping Ali hobble over to the bench so gather her things. “I was guarding you too close.”

 

“It’s fine,” Ali grits, wincing in pain. 

 

“I’ll go get my stuff and drive you to urgent care,” Ashlyn offers. She lets Becky take her spot on Ali’s right side and dashes off to get her stuff before Ali can protest. 

 

Now that she’s out of the game, Ali appoints Becky to take over as captain and as Ashlyn and the school nurse help her out of the gym to applause from the spectators, she can hear Becky getting everyone fired up to win in her honor. 

 

“I’ve got it from here,” Ashlyn says once they make it to her car and get Ali into the passenger seat. “Thanks, Lisa.” 

 

“No problem, I hope everything goes well,” Lisa replies. She closes Ali’s door and jogs back into the school to get back to the game. 

 

Alone in Ashlyn’s Jeep, Ali finally speaks. “You really don't have to do this, Ash. I'm sure someone else could have taken me.” 

 

“I really don't mind,” Ashlyn says. She puts the car in drive and starts navigating towards urgent care which is about ten minutes away. “I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean to.” 

 

Ali lets out a cold chuckle before she can stop herself. “In what way? Hurting my ankle or breaking up with me? Or, oooh, I know, when you were totally fine and seeing someone else a month after we broke up and you acted like our relationship meant nothing to you. I know we weren't together long but you meant a lot to me and it really fucking hurt that you were fine with it and made me think that I was wrong for not already being out there.” As she speaks, she begins to cry and by the time she’s done, her voice is so shaky she can't say another word. 

 

“You think you’re the only one hurting here? You think that I wanted things to end the way they did?” Ashlyn asks. “Ali, that weekend was one of the worst of my life. For the first few weeks I hardly got out of bed except to go to work and I shut everyone out. So, yeah, I went on a few dates with someone Whitney started begging to set me up with before you and I ever got together. I had to, Ali, I had to try to move on because I was going crazy being left alone with my thoughts. Every single day it pains me to see you at school and to know what we shared while wondering what might have been.” 

 

“Then why wouldn’t you talk to me about it?” Ali asks. “We might have been able to fix things but instead you completely shut me out.” 

 

“How could we have fixed things? You weren’t going to leave your job no matter what and it wasn’t fair of you to expect me to do it.” 

 

“I know that I wasn't fair. But you wouldn’t even let me explain myself. You called me selfish and never let me explain that I didn’t go into this assuming I would have the choice to keep my job or not. I thought that I would be fired or at the very least reassigned within the district and I believed that on the off chance we had a choice, it would be easier for you to find a new job that it would be for me. But I went into things knowing the risk because I wholeheartedly believed that you were worth it. You were worth every risk and every worry because I loved you. I loved you and I could imagine a future with you and you wouldn’t give me the chance to explain and that was really, really shitty of you.” 

 

Ali dries the tears from her eyes in an attempt to compose herself as they arrive at the clinic. Ashlyn finds the closest spot she can get and moves around to Ali’s side to help her out of the car and into the clinic. 

 

They don’t say much of anything as they wait for a doctor to look at Ali’s ankle. Instead, Ashlyn alternates between reading a magazine and scrolling through her phone while Ali fills out paperwork. 

 

When the doctor is ready, she goes through a bunch of small tests before ordering an x-ray that confirms that Ali’s ankle is broken. 

 

“All I can do for now is wrap it,” the doctor says. “You’ll have to schedule an appointment with an orthopedic doctor for about two days from now to get a cast put on. This will allow the swelling to go down so they can get a cast on. For now, I’ll wrap it and you can ice and elevate at home.” 

 

When Ali returns to Ashlyn in the waiting room on a brand new set of crutches, Ashlyn looks incredibly sympathetic. “Broken,” Ali announces. 

 

“Shit,” Ashlyn groans. She runs a hand through her hair and takes the papers and pamphlets from the doctor since Ali can't carry them herself while on crutches. She carefully puts the papers into Ali’s purse and slings it over her shoulder to walk back out to the car. 

 

“Thanks for taking me,” Ali says as they walk. “I’m sure you would have preferred to stay at the game.” 

 

“Al, there was no way I wasn’t gonna take you,” Ashlyn replies. “Broken up or not, I care about you.” 

 

Ali wants to make a comment about how it sure hasn’t seemed like it the last few months but she knows that now is not the time. If there’s any hope of making things right, she needs to keep a level head and not make things worse by being snippy, no matter how gratifying it may be in the moment. 

 

When they get back in Ashlyn’s car, Ali assumes that Ashlyn is going to take her straight home. Instead, Ashlyn drives to her apartment building and parks her car out front. 

 

“I’m going to get some stuff so I can come stay with you and help with whatever you need, okay?” 

 

At this point, Ali is far too exhausted and in pain to argue so she nods and scrolls through her phone as Ashlyn runs inside. She has a lot of texts from her staff asking if she’s okay and wishing her well but the message that makes her smile the most is a photo from Becky of the entire blue team (sans Ali, of course) excitedly hoisting the trophy. 

 

_ We won for you. This trophy will look amazing in your office ;) _

 

_ Thanks, Broon. Love ya.  _

 

When Ashlyn returns to the car, she’s dragging a full size suitcase behind her, which makes Ali laugh way too hard considering the circumstances. She has no idea what life is going to be with a broken ankle, let alone her ex-girlfriend effectively living with her to help her with whatever she needs. 

 

“Staying for a year?” she teases, looking over her shoulder as Ashlyn moves things around in the trunk to put her suitcase back there. 

 

Ashlyn hoists her suitcase into the car. “Very funny,” she deadpans. “I’m staying as long as you need help.” 

 

They chat casually as Ashlyn drives to Ali’s house, catching one another up on the time they’ve missed recently. If it weren’t for the little voice in the back of Ali’s mind telling her that they need to finish their discussion from earlier, it would almost feel normal, like nothing bad ever happened between them. 

 

In the three years Ali has lived in this house, she’s never been more thankful that it’s a ranch style without stairs than she is when she has to crutch her way inside and to her bedroom to get changed. Changing her shirt is easy enough but changing her shorts takes a little bit of work and by the time she’s done, she’s extremely grateful that Ashlyn is here to help her with everything else. 

 

After a few minutes, Ashlyn knocks softly on Ali’s bedroom door. “Can I come in? I have ice.” 

 

“Yeah,” Ali replies. 

 

Ashlyn helps Ali get situated with her leg elevated and iced and sits down on the corner of Ali’s bed. “We can talk in the morning, if you want,” she offers. 

 

“No, no, we should do this now.” 

 

“I’m sorry I never let you tell your side,” Ashlyn says. “I should have listened to you.” 

 

“I shouldn’t have assumed you would be willing to leave Oakwood. It wasn’t fair and you were right to be angry. And the DC thing, god, that was so stupid. It’s something I thought about, yes, but not in any serious way and I used it to try to win the argument and I shouldn’t have done that.” 

 

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Ashlyn agrees. She pauses for a beat before continuing, “I still love you.” 

 

Ali nods, fighting back tears. She’s only been able to dream of hearing those words the last two months and now that she’s heard them, she can’t quite believe it. “I never stopped,” she says, wiping tears away from her eyes. 

 

“I’m still kind of mad at you,” Ashlyn says. “But I’m mad at myself too for shutting you out the way I did. And I never, ever should have acted like our relationship wasn’t important to me. I tried to convince myself that because we were only together for a few months that I should’ve been able to get over you but obviously it didn’t work. When I said that, I think it was directed more at myself than it was directed at you.”

 

“Not gonna lie, that hurt me more than anything else,” Ali says. 

 

Ashlyn nods and wipes a few tears from her eyes. “I didn’t mean it. I know that doesn’t change the fact that I said it but our relationship was so important to me--it still is.  _ You  _ are important to me.” 

 

“That’s really good to hear,” Ali replies. She feels tears forming in her own eyes but doesn’t wipe them away, too focused on letting Ashlyn’s words sink in. Deep down, she hoped that Ashlyn didn’t mean what she said about only being together for a few months but Ashlyn seemed so aloof when she said it that Ali was convinced that Ashlyn really didn’t care about their breakup. It crushed her.

 

Ashlyn knows where Ali’s mind is and takes her hands, looking deep into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know how bad that must have hurt and I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t forgive me.” 

 

“I do forgive you,” Ali says after a moment’s thought. “But please don't ever say shit like that again. I know I hurt you too but I don't think I deserved that.”

 

“No, you absolutely did not deserve that.”

 

“Can I ask you something?” 

 

“Anything,” Ashlyn replies. 

 

Ali takes a deep breath and tries to mentally prepare herself for the answer she’s about to receive. “Did you sleep with her? Did you sleep with the girl you went out with?”

 

Ashlyn immediately shakes her head. “No. I wasn’t ready to be with anyone other than you. She was a distraction, you know? She was nice and Whitney’s heart was in the right place but I think if Whit knew, she would agree that I already had the best catch.”

 

“Where do we go from here?” 

 

“I think we still need time. I think we should see how things go with me taking care of you and figure everything else out later. I don’t want to rush back in and mess things up again.”

 

Ali nods her agreement. “You know, I think last time we spent so much time internally debating whether or not we should get together without really considering what we would do when and if the district finds out. It doesn’t need to be tonight, obviously, but we need a plan for how we’ll tell them and what we’ll do. If we’d done that before, we’d probably still be together now.” 

 

“Well, luckily for us, we’ll have a second chance to get it right.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here ya go :) 
> 
> was it anything like you expected?   
> what did you think of their argument and the discussion that followed?   
> how long do you think it'll take for them to get back together now that Ashlyn is staying with Ali?   
> do you forgive me yet? :P


	10. focus on the love

  
  


Life with a broken ankle is even more difficult than Ali anticipated. Ashlyn takes Monday off to take Ali to get her cast put on which, of course, is black because it will match all of Ali’s outfits. The first order of business when they get back to the house is for Ali to take a bath because it’s been a real challenge for her to move enough to bathe the last few days. Since injuring her leg, she’s relied upon washing her body with a washcloth and Ashlyn helping wash her hair in the sink and she longs to take a real bath. 

 

Bathing in the tub with her cast proves to be a struggle. She manages to climb into the tub by herself without getting her cast wet and drapes her leg over the side of the tub. But with the angle she has to keep her body at to avoid her cast getting wet, it’s a struggle to get her hair washed and she has to call Ashlyn for help. 

 

“Is everything okay?” Ashlyn asks as she enters the bathroom. “Jesus, Al, you could warn me next time,” she says, gesturing to Ali’s exposed position with one leg draped over the edge of the tub. She’s facing the door so Ashlyn has a clear view of  _ everything _ . 

 

“Please,” Ali scoffs. “Don’t act all bashful like you haven’t seen it all before. Like you haven’t spent hours up close and personal with every part of me. You practically worship--worshipped--my vagina.” 

 

“I’m just saying a warning would have been nice,” Ashlyn laughs. “And you were right the first time, it’s worship.” 

 

Now Ali is the one who goes bashful. She is, after all, completely exposed to her ex-girlfriend and so helpless that she can’t even bathe alone. “I need help washing my hair,” she says, getting the conversation back on track.

 

Ashlyn nods and steps into the tub to sit on the edge of the tub behind Ali with her feet in the water. She takes such great care gently washing Ali’s hair that Ali lets a small moan slip at the sensation of Ashlyn massaging her scalp. Despite her awkward position with her casted leg hanging out of the tub, Ali is able to completely relax sitting in the warm water with Ashlyn’s gentle hands moving against her scalp. 

 

When Ashlyn finishes washing, conditioning, and rinsing Ali’s hair, she steps out of the tub first and reaches to help Ali out of the tub as well. 

 

“What would I do without you?” Ali grins. If there’s one good thing about breaking her ankle it’s that it forced her and Ashlyn to talk again. Considering that a week ago she would’ve given anything to talk to Ashlyn, a broken ankle is a small price to pay. 

 

~

 

Since Ali got her cast on Monday, neither she nor Ashlyn worked that day but on Tuesday morning, Ali gets up and ready for work as she usually would. The orthopedic doctor gave her a knee scooter which helps her mobility immensely and there’s no way she is going to miss the last few weeks of the school year. 

 

When Ashlyn emerges from her guest room dressed and ready for work, she’s taken aback by Ali scooting around the kitchen as she makes breakfast. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demands. 

 

“Making breakfast so we can go to work,” Ali replies. “Do you want bacon?” 

 

“Yes I want bacon but you’re not going to work,” Ashlyn says.

 

“Of course I am. It’s the end of the year and I have a lot to do.” 

 

“Heather already told you she’ll take care of everything. You need to rest and elevate your leg.” 

 

“That’s why I’m wearing pants,” Ali says. “I can elevate on my desk while still getting work done. It’ll be fine. Now come and eat breakfast with me.” 

 

Since Ali’s right leg is in a cast, she can’t really drive so Ashlyn drives them in her jeep and parks in Ali’s parking space. 

 

Ali scoots right into the main office and greets everyone as if nothing happened, as if it’s completely normal for her to stride in on a knee scooter with her leg in a cast. Ashlyn follows close behind, dutifully carrying Ali’s bag. 

 

When Heather sees Ali from her office, she comes rushing out into the main office. “What are you doing here? You should be taking care of your leg.” 

 

“That’s what I said,” Ashlyn replies. 

 

“My leg will be fine. I’ll elevate here and take care of business. I’m good, I promise.” 

 

Heather sighs, knowing there’s no way to change Ali’s mind. “Just don’t overdo it, okay?” 

 

“Okay, mom.” 

 

“Ash, you’ve been taking care of her? That’s so nice of you to stay with her,” Heather says, turning to Ashlyn. The night of the game, Heather called Ali to ask if she needed anything so Ali informed her that she appreciated the offer but that Ashlyn was staying with her to help her out. 

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “I care about her and I can’t help but feel partly responsible. Besides, I’d take any excuse to get away from my roommate for a while.” 

 

“For the millionth time, this is not your fault,” Ali asserts. “And even if it were your fault, you’ve been a great help so we’re even.” 

 

As part of her promise to take it easy, Ali doesn’t go to the lounge for coffee and instead brews it in her office for herself, Ashlyn, and HAO. Heather offers to take a little more of the workload so Ali can stay at her desk and elevate her leg as much as possible. Ali doesn’t want her to take on too much so she agrees only on the grounds that she does some of Heather’s tasks that she can complete at her desk. 

 

Throughout the day, many teachers and staff pay visit to Ali’s office to check on how she’s doing which only reaffirms the immense love Ali has for this school and its staff. It makes her sad to know that these might be her last weeks with them. If she and Ashlyn rekindle their relationship, they’ll likely disclose their relationship to the district over the summer as they initially planned so they would have time to find other employment if need be. If Ali has to leave Oakwood, she’ll certainly miss the people here but if these last few months have taught her anything, it’s that she misses Ashlyn more than she could ever miss her job. 

 

Though they’ve skirted around the topic for the last few days, she and Ashlyn are in a pretty good place. They've focused on rebuilding their friendship before they jump back into a relationship. 

 

Ali’s position as principal requires her to be the last one out of the school every day but because HAO is a gem of a person, she insists on taking over that duty for the remainder of the year so Ali can go home and rest and so Ashlyn doesn't have to wait around for her. 

 

When school ends, Ashlyn arrives at Ali’s office to help her gather her things so they can go home. “How was your day?” 

 

“Pretty good,” Ali grins. She hands Ashlyn her purse and several get well soon cards from staff members and scoots her way out of her office. “How was yours?” 

 

“A little difficult,” Ashlyn replies. “Everyone is pretty checked out this time of year so it’s hard to get them to focus on the material.”

 

They pause in the main office to say goodbye to everyone and thank HAO again for being willing to stay late and make their way out to Ashlyn’s jeep together, chatting the whole way. 

 

Once inside, Ali instinctively reaches for Ashlyn’s hand, not realizing what she’s doing until Ashlyn squeezes a little and flashes her a smile. 

 

“I’m sorry, that was out of habit,” Ali says, though she doesn’t bother taking her hand back. 

 

“I don’t mind. I’ve missed it, actually.” 

 

They don’t say much the rest of the short drive home, sitting in content, comfortable silence. It feels so normal, like all the evenings they spent driving to whatever date location they picked that day. It feels like nothing has changed yet everything has. They were never really on the same page while dating, not able to agree on what to do when they disclosed their relationship to the district. 

 

Ashlyn makes chicken fettuccini alfredo for dinner and when they sit down to eat, Ali is finally ready to have that all important discussion. 

 

“I love having you here with me,” she starts. “I hate why you’re here with me, of course, but I do love having you here. I’ve missed having you in my life.” 

 

“I missed you too.” 

 

“Would you like to try again?” Ali asks, her heart pounding in her chest at the slight chance Ashlyn won’t want to. They already discussed the possibility of getting back together after the trip to the hospital but she’s ready to make it official and worries that Ashlyn may have changed her mind about giving it another shot. 

 

“I would,” Ashlyn grins. 

 

“Yeah?” Ali asks, matching Ashlyn’s grin. 

 

“Absolutely.”

 

“I think we should see out these last few weeks of school and talk to the district early during summer vacation like we initially planned. That way, if one of us does have to leave, we would have time to look for something else. If given the choice, I would resign and try to find somewhere else or take a reassignment to another high school or even middle school if that's what they offer. There are hundreds of thousands of schools out there but there’s only one you.” 

 

“Well aren’t you cheesy,” Ashlyn teases. 

 

Ali rolls her eyes and takes Ashlyn’s hand across the table. “I’m being serious, Ash. You matter more to me than a job. I’ll be able to find another job and it’s certainly not worth losing you over.” 

 

“Ali, I never intended for you to actually be the one to leave,” Ashlyn replies. “I know how important Oakwood is to you. It’s important to me too but I’ve only been there a year so I know I don’t have the same connection to it as you do. All I wanted was for you to be willing to leave and not assume that it would be me because I wanted to know that I was important enough to you. But let’s just see what the district says, okay? Who knows, maybe by us coming to them instead of them finding out another way they’ll be willing to work with us and we can both stay where we are or go to a different school within the district.”

 

“I hope you’re right. I mean, there must be a solution we’re not thinking of because our minds jump to the worst possible outcome. Even just staying within the district would be a better option than being fired or forced to resign because then at least we won’t have to job hunt. We’ll just go in there and explain that you never received preferential treatment at work and that we both love the school and want to find a solution that works for everyone. If we walk in with our tails between our legs acting guilty and afraid, they won’t give us a chance.”

 

“I’m kind of following,” Ashlyn begins, “but does that mean we won’t be apologetic? Because I don’t think it’ll help our case if we act like we’re right and the rules are wrong.”

 

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. What I mean is that if we look guilty, they’re going to think we’re guilty. If we walk in there and explain what happened and say that we’re passionate about our jobs and that our relationship doesn’t affect our work at all then they’ll probably be much more willing to work with us.” 

 

“I like that plan,” Ashlyn grins. “Apologize when the situation calls for it but don’t grovel at their feet for forgiveness.” 

 

“Yes, exactly.”

 

“In the meantime, I’ve missed you a lot so how about I get the mess cleaned up and we’ll spend the rest of the night in bed,” Ashlyn suggests with a wink. 

 

“That sounds perfect.” 

 

Five minutes later, they’re snuggled together under the comforter in Ali’s bed. Ali curls into Ashlyn’s side and gently runs her fingers up and down Ashlyn’s arm, tracing the lines of her tattoos. 

 

They don’t bother to turn the TV on and instead focus their attention on each other. Eventually, the cuddling just isn’t enough and Ashlyn turns to Ali and captures her lips in a slow, sweet kiss. It’s been over two months since they last did this but they immediately fall into a familiar rhythm. Careful to avoid bumping Ali’s leg too much, Ashlyn slowly lowers Ali down onto her back as they kiss and grips her hips tightly as she kneels over her. 

 

“Shit, Ash,” Ali breathes as Ashlyn’s hands find their way under her shirt. Ashlyn snakes her hands up to cup Ali’s breasts, causing Ali’s back to arch off of the bed to meet Ashlyn’s hands. 

 

“Patience,” Ashlyn laughs. 

 

Ashlyn uses their positions to her advantage and fully controls their pace, moving nice and slow even though it’s clear Ali would rather move fast now and take their time later. With her hands still roaming Ali’s body, Ashlyn kisses her way down to Ali’s neck where she gently sucks the spot right beneath Ali’s ear that she knows drives her wild. 

 

Ali’s eyes flutter closed and she focuses on the sensation of Ashlyn sucking her neck. She runs her hands up and down Ashlyn’s back before slipping them underneath the waistband of Ashlyn’s sweatpants and squeezing her ass, pulling her closer. This seems to finally kick Ashlyn into another gear and she sits up so she can take Ali’s shirt off before removing her own. 

 

“I’ve missed these,” Ashlyn says, palming Ali’s breasts. She rolls her hands around a little, smiling as Ali’s nipples harden under her touch. She leans back down, pinning Ali’s arms above her head as she kisses her way from her neck to her chest. 

 

“Hurry,” Ali demands. 

 

Ashlyn doesn’t respond, continuing her slow journey down Ali’s torso, worshipping every inch of skin. When she gets to the tattoo on Ali’s hip bone, she scoots down to the end of the bed so she can remove Ali’s shorts and panties, careful to get them over her cast. 

 

“Yours too, please,” Ali says. 

 

“So polite,” Ashlyn teases. She does as she’s been told and slips out of her sweats and boxers, tossing them to the floor along with Ali’s shorts and panties. She moves back up to the head of the bed and once again captures Ali’s lips in a kiss. As she kisses her way down Ali’s neck, Ali lets out a frustrated groan. 

 

“My leg is broken please stop teasing me,” Ali whines, eliciting a laugh from Ashlyn. 

 

“I don’t see how those two are related at all.” 

 

“Have some sympathy, woman.” 

 

Ashlyn finally relents. She knows she’s teased Ali for long enough so she positions herself between Ali’s legs and finally gives Ali what she wants, enjoying the familiar taste of her girlfriend after two long months. 

 

With how long it’s been since they last had sex and Ashlyn’s near relentless teasing, Ali comes undone quickly and grasps her bedsheets as she bucks her hips and repeats Ashlyn’s name over and over again. 

 

“It was good, I take it?” Ashlyn asks smugly as she moves to lie next to Ali. 

 

“Fuck off.” 

 

As soon as Ali catches her breath, she pulls Ashlyn in for a kiss, tasting herself on her tongue. Her cast once again proves to be cumbersome so she pulls Ashlyn onto her lap and tells her exactly where she wants her at any given moment. To start, she has Ashlyn lie on top of her so she can kiss her neck but then she has Ashlyn move up a little so she can get to her breasts. She swirls her tongue around one of Ashlyn’s nipples and rolls the other one between her fingers, drawing breathy moans from her girlfriend. She smirks as Ashlyn grinds her hips down, desperate for friction. 

 

“Get up here,” Ali says. They’ve drawn this out long enough and she wants to taste Ashlyn as much as Ashlyn wants relief. 

 

Ashlyn doesn’t need to be told twice and eagerly sits on Ali’s face as Ali eats her out. 

 

Ali moves far too slowly for Ashlyn’s liking so Ashlyn tries to use the position to her advantage but it’s no use, Ali has set an agonizingly slow pace and refuses to move things along. 

 

“Come on, Al,” Ashlyn groans. 

 

Ali picks up the pace a little, finally giving Ashlyn what she needs. Ashlyn collapses against the headboard as she comes and Ali can feel her legs shaking against her head. She reaches her hands up and gently scratches Ashlyn’s lower back as she comes down from her high. 

 

“Holy shit,” Ashlyn breathes as she collapses next to Ali. “That was incredible.” 

 

“Almost makes it worth the two month breakup.” 

 

“Not even close,” Ashlyn replies, wrapping Ali in a hug. “I hated being without you.” 

 

“Likewise,” Ali says. She rests a hand on Ashlyn’s chest, feeling her heartbeat under her palm. She’s had longer relationships end in heartbreak but there’s something about Ashlyn that even after just four months together, their breakup was the hardest of Ali’s life. She’s determined not to let it happen again. “I love you,” she says, getting a little emotional. “I love you and I’m so, so sorry that I was so selfish.” 

 

Ashlyn pulls Ali close and presses a kiss to her forehead. When she pulls back to meet her eyes, she sees that Ali is crying and wipes her tears away with her thumb. “I know, baby. I’m sorry for not listening to your side and for being an asshole. We’re okay, though, and I’m so thankful that we have a second chance.” 

 

“Let’s not fuck it up this time.”

 

“Good plan,” Ashlyn grins, kissing Ali’s forehead once again. “So, uh, should I go sleep in the guest room?” she jokes. “It’s pretty cozy in there.” 

 

“You’re not going anywhere,” Ali replies. She snuggles closer and lightly drags her pointer finger up and down Ashlyn’s torso. More than anything, she’s missed these quiet, content moments together. She missed the sex, sure, but the quiet moments that follow are some of her favorites. “You’re gonna stay right here where you belong or I’m sleeping in the guest room with you.” 

 

“You drive a hard bargain,” Ashlyn laughs. “Are you coming to work tomorrow?” 

 

“Of course.” 

 

“Okay well how about I make breakfast in the morning? Whether you like it or not, you do have to take it easy. I mean, I can’t let my girlfriend overdo it and need longer to recover. The sooner you’re on your feet--literally--the sooner I get out of your hair and go back to my apartment.” 

 

“In that case, I hope my ankle never gets better,” Ali teases. “Actually, I broke it just so you would talk to me again.” 

 

“Is that so?” Ashlyn asks, raising her eyebrows in amusement. “And here I thought it was an accident.” 

 

“Oh, no, this was an elaborate scheme. Who wouldn’t want to spend six weeks in a cast? I get to wear this awesome accessory to prom and graduation but it’s all worth it because I got you back.”

 

“I’m sure everyone will want a cast when they see how beautiful you look at prom and commencements. It’ll be all the rage this summer.”

 

“I know, I’m such a trendsetter.”

 

“Hey, if I volunteer to chaperone prom are you going to ignore me all night like you did at homecoming?” Ashlyn asks, eliciting a laugh from Ali. 

 

Ali pretends to think for a moment, stroking her chin with her thumb and pointer finger for emphasis. “I think I’ll be doing the opposite of ignoring you. We’ll be counting down the time until we can come home. Not sure how I’ll be able to dance but I’m sure we can figure it out for at least one.”

 

“Well count me in,” Ashlyn grins. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy now? Thanks for sticking with them and with me during their little break ;)
> 
> Currently writing chapter 15 and it looks like it will be the last official chapter. I have a few ideas for one shots set after this main story but I've hit a bit of writers' block (I've been stuck writing chapter 15 for a week now because the words just aren't coming) so hopefully I'll find the motivation to get those ideas out. 
> 
> Thanks for all the enthusiastic comments on the last two chapters they really mean a lot to me and keep me trying to motivate myself to finish ♥


	11. prom

 

As the school year winds down, prom and commencement preparations are in full swing. Chaperoning prom is part of Ali’s job and she’s always viewed it as just that: an obligation. But this year, with the promise that Ashlyn will attend and they’ll be each other’s dates, Ali is more excited about prom than she has been since her own senior prom. They have a pretty decent group of chaperones this year with Ashlyn, Alex, Syd, Serv, Kelley, and Heather all helping out. This particular senior class raised more money than any senior class in the last six years so their venue is gorgeous and Ali can’t wait for the evening.

 

The only thing left is for Ali to find something to wear.

 

“Will you come to the mall with me today?” Ali asks over breakfast a week before the dance. “I need to find a dress for prom.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Ashlyn replies. “But you know I’m going to tell you that you look beautiful in everything,” she adds with a smirk.

 

“Oh, you don’t get to see what I pick,” Ali says. “I want it to be a surprise.”

 

“What? Why? It’s not our prom, Al.”

 

“I know but we’re going together so I think it would be fun. Besides, it’s really the only part of the whole night that can actually feel like a date so I want to surprise you after we get ready. I would go to the mall by myself but that’s not really an option with my cast and Kelley went home to visit her parents this weekend.”

 

Even if Ashlyn didn’t want to go, there’s no way she could deny Ali anything at this point so as soon as they finish breakfast and get ready, they head to the mall together.

 

Ali tries on a few dresses in the first store but nothing seems quite right but in the second store, she knows the dress she’s going to get as soon as she walks in the door. It’s a black floor length dress with a high neck. The neckline is beaded for a little sparkle and there’s a slit on one side that comes up to her thigh so she’ll be able to use her knee scooter without additional difficulty. Better yet, it fits her like a glove and she knows it’ll drive Ashlyn wild even though it’s classy enough for her to wear while chaperoning a high school dance.

 

Once the dress is rung up and put in a garment bag, Ali carefully folds it over a couple of times so she can set it on the front part of her scooter until she can find Ashlyn. Unsurprisingly, Ashlyn is sitting at a small table right in front of the pretzel place across the hall from where Ali bought her dress.

 

“Hey,” Ashlyn greets with a smile as Ali takes the seat opposite her. “Find a dress?”

 

“Yep,” Ali grins. “I can’t wait for you to see it on me.” She reaches forward, peeling off some of the pretzel in front of Ashlyn and dips it into the cheese. “God, these are even better than I remember.”

 

“Wouldn’t be a trip to the mall without one. Sometimes I find excuses to come here just to get a pretzel.”

 

“So when the district knows about us, we’ll have lots of mall dates and get fat on pretzels?” Ali asks.

 

“Every day.”

 

“Every day?” Ali laughs.

 

“Oh, yeah, we’ll be famous for eating Auntie Anne’s every single day. Then I’ll propose right here and we’ll probably get free pretzels for life.”

 

Ali raises her eyebrows and looks at her girlfriend in amusement. “That’s pretty well thought out, babe. Kind of like you’ve been planning that for a while.”

 

“Since I was eight,” Ashlyn grins. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the pretzel shaped ring has lots and lots of little diamonds. You know, as the salt.”

 

“I hate you,” Ali laughs. “I don’t know why I even got back together with you.”

 

“I believe you said that you never stopped loving me and you hated being broken up.”

 

“Right, right, thanks for the reminder.”

 

They wander aimlessly through the mall for a while longer before they’ve had enough. When they get back home, Ali has to pee so bad that she races into her master bathroom. When she’s done, she goes back into her bedroom to find Ashlyn slipping into comfier clothes. She doesn’t yet have shorts on but the shirt is Ali’s navy blue Battle for Troy shirt with Krieger displayed across Ashlyn’s shoulders in big white letters.

 

Ashlyn bends down to pick a pair of her own shorts out of the dresser and Ali gawks at the sight of her girlfriend in just form fitting boxers and a t-shirt bearing her last name. It’s one of the greatest things Ali has ever seen.

 

“Don’t you have your own clothes?” She teases, unable to resist a little playful ribbing no matter how attracted she is to Ashlyn in this moment.

 

Ashlyn turns to face Ali as she slips into her shorts. “I have a limited wardrobe here and I forgot to dry my clothes before we left for the mall. Why, were you planning on wearing this?”

 

Ali shrugs. “I might have worn it, I’m not sure. Maybe I should take it off of you.”

 

Ashlyn holds her arms out wide as her lips curl into a playful smirk. “Try me.”

 

Ali closes the gap between her and Ashlyn and playfully tries to wrestle the shirt off of Ashlyn. She tugs at the hemline, trying to bring it up and over Ashlyn’s head but Ashlyn holds her arms tight to her side which doesn’t allow Ali much room to move.

 

“Come on,” Ali giggles, still trying in vain to get the shirt over Ashlyn’s head.

 

“No way,” Ashlyn laughs. “I can’t just let you win.”

 

In the end, it’s not really a fair fight. With only one leg to stand on as the other rests on her scooter, Ali can’t generate enough power to wrestle the shirt off of Ashlyn. When she finally accepts that her efforts are futile, she decides to try another tactic.

 

Instead of trying to pull the shirt up and off, she smoothes it down as she runs her hands down Ashlyn’s torso. She gently trails them all the way down and cups Ashlyn’s ass. “I love these boxers on you,” she breathes, leaning forward to kiss Ashlyn’s neck.

 

“Evil woman,” Ashlyn grumbles.

 

They both know what Ali is doing but Ashlyn is powerless to stop her. Ali trails kisses up Ashlyn's neck until she captures her lips in a hungry kiss that leaves them both completely breathless. It takes just over a minute for Ashlyn to let Ali take her shirt off.

 

“Ha,” Ali laughs, holding the shirt in her hands.

 

“You are cruel,” Ashlyn breathes.

 

Ali rolls her eyes and leans in to kiss Ashlyn again. “As if I’m gonna leave you hanging.”

 

Ashlyn’s eyes light up and she takes Ali by surprise by lifting her up and carrying her over to the bed. “I should wear that shirt more often,” she says, pinning Ali down to the bed.

 

“You should,” Ali agrees. “Preferably in just your underwear too.”

 

“Noted,” Ashlyn replies, leaning down to kiss Ali.

 

They don’t have any other obligations for the day so they take their time and savor every moment they have together. Their breakup is still fresh in their minds and neither woman takes a second of their rekindled relationship for granted. When they finally leave the bedroom to make dinner, Ali rolls her eyes as Ashlyn pulls the navy blue t-shirt back over her head.

 

~

 

Prom Saturday is, unfortunately, a rather rainy and gloomy day and although Ali looks forward to the night, it’s the perfect weather to stay cuddled up inside with Ashlyn. Nevertheless, they have a job to do and Ali and Heather have to arrive at the venue a little earlier than everyone else to ensure that everything is ready to go for their seniors. Since Ashlyn is Ali’s designated chauffeur while she has her cast on as well as Ali’s (secret) date, that means she has to get an early start too.

 

Ali exiles Ashlyn to the guest bedroom and bathroom to get ready while she gets ready in her own bedroom. It takes Ali just over an hour to get ready and she feels a little guilty for keeping Ashlyn waiting for so long but when she goes out to the living room to find her girlfriend, the guest bathroom door is still closed and she can hear Ashlyn still moving around.

 

“Did you nap before getting ready or something?” Ali teases through the door.

 

“No, just trying to get my hair perfect,” Ashlyn replies, opening the door a little. “Besides, not all of us are lucky enough to only have to shave one leg.”

 

“Oh my god,” Ali laughs. “Well get your ass in gear. We have to meet Heather there in thirty minutes.” She retreats back to her bedroom to gather her things and by the time she’s positive she has everything, Ashlyn enters the bedroom, working to fasten the watch on her wrist.

 

“Okay, I’m ready,” Ashlyn grins once she’s successful in securing her watch. When she finally looks up at Ali, her smile grows even wider. “You look so beautiful, Al.”

 

“So do you,” Ali replies. She reaches out and grabs Ashlyn’s lapels to pull her closer, giving her a quick kiss. “Well worth the wait,” she says, smoothing out Ashlyn’s lapels.

 

By the time Ali and Ashlyn arrive at the venue, Heather is already there with the senior class officers, all of whom are dressed and ready to go as they work to make sure everything is exactly the way they envisioned.

 

~

 

Since prom is only seniors and their dates and is at a neutral site away from the many school hallways, it requires significantly less work to chaperone than homecoming. There’s also a full dinner that varies in quality based on what venue the seniors choose but either way, it makes it a little easier for Ali and Heather to find chaperones for prom than homecoming. The group of chaperones this year is pretty amazing and throughout dinner it seems as if they have more fun at their table than the students have at their tables. Ali and Ashlyn are each other’s dates, of course, but only they know that.

 

Since Ali can’t stand on her casted leg, she can really only manage to slow dance--if you consider resting one knee on her scooter and swaying in place dancing. But she’ll be damned if Ashlyn doesn’t get her dance so they settle for what she can do and try to avoid being too obvious as students and their fellow teachers pair off for a slow song.

 

“Have I told you that you look beautiful tonight?” Ashlyn asks quietly.

 

“About a million times,” Ali smiles. “You look beautiful too--I love this suit on you.”

 

“And, look, no Joanne to make a bitchy comment.”

 

“She’s just jealous that she could never look as good as you no matter what she wears,” Ali cheeses. “Wait, no, she’s just an asshole.”

 

“Definitely just an asshole,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

Halfway through the song, all the teachers shuffle around a little so HAO cuts in with Ali and Ashlyn goes to dance with Syd.

 

“How’s the leg?” Heather asks.

 

Ali shrugs. She’s answered this question hundreds of times in the last few weeks and even had to talk her mom out of coming to stay with her, explaining that she was fine and that Ashlyn was taking excellent care of her, which then led to explaining that she and Ashlyn are back together. “I definitely need to rest it when I get home tonight but it’s okay right now. Thank you for stepping up the way you have.”

 

“We’re a team, Ali,” Heather replies. “I’ll always have your back and I know that you’ll always have mine.”

 

“You got that right,” Ali says. No matter what happens, whether she leaves Oakwood or not, she will always cherish her friendship with Heather. They may or may not work together soon but she fully plans on their kids growing up together and nothing can change that.

 

When the song ends, Ali scoots back over to the table while everyone else continues dancing. She watches her staff, some of her closest friends dance together and it makes her sad that she might no longer work with them soon. But when she locks eyes with Ashlyn who flashes her a goofy grin as she dances, she knows that it’ll all be worth it in the end. The people who are meant to be in her life will always be there and as long as she has Ashlyn, they’ll adapt to anything.

 

It’s a little difficult for Ali to sit at the table and watch her friends have fun but after one song, Ashlyn and Kelley make their way back over to the table to sit with her so she won’t feel left out. Ashlyn takes her seat next to Ali while Kelley sits on Ashlyn’s other side.

 

“I have to say, I’m surprised that you two have kept your hands off of each other tonight,” Kelley comments. “You both look so good.”

 

“Yeah,” Ashlyn grins, looking over at Ali, “I haven’t even touched your ass once.”

 

“Do you want a medal for that?” Ali deadpans. “Actually, that is a pretty big accomplishment for you.”

 

“That’s what I’m saying,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

“I’m so happy you two are back together,” Kelley grins.

 

“So are we,” Ali replies, smiling at Ashlyn. The last few weeks have been incredible for the couple. They’re finally on the same page and are more open and honest about their feelings and struggles. They have never been in such a good place and Ali couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out.

 

“I can’t wait to be in your wedding,” Kelley grins. “Ohhh, I should officiate it.”

 

“Easy there, Kel,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

“Yeah, it’s way too early to be talking about any of that,” Ali agrees. “But you would make a decent officiant,” she adds.

 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Kelley grins.

 

Kelley soon gets up to dance with everyone, leaving Ali and Ashlyn alone at the table.

 

“I love that weirdo,” Ashlyn says as they watch Kelley rejoin everyone on the dance floor.

 

“She’s the best; she was rooting for us before I even thought it was possible to be together. She pushed me so hard to take a chance on you. I was completely serious when I said that she would make a good officiant for our wedding--you know, assuming we end up getting married.”

 

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that. Like you said, she’s been in our corner from the very beginning.”

 

Ali smiles as she glances at her friends dancing together before scanning the room for any trouble. Everyone is behaving and having a good time dancing from what she can tell and when Syd and Alex decide to take a break from dancing, they offer to walk the hallway for a few minutes to ensure everything is okay out there.

 

“You can go dance with everyone, you know,” Ali says, looking over at Ashlyn.

 

“Nah, I’m here with you. I can’t leave my date all alone. I mean, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I left you here all by yourself?”

 

“I’d probably have to trade you in for someone else,” Ali quips.

 

Ashlyn quirks her eyebrows. “Oh yeah? You’ll have to find someone who is cool with being your personal maid, chef, and chauffeur as well as your girlfriend.”

 

Ali hums, pretending to consider this for a moment. “Yeah, I guess that is kind of a tall order, huh? Sorry I’ve been so helpless recently.”

 

“Not your fault at all and, honestly, I kind of like taking care of you.”

 

“I like you taking care of me too,” Ali smirks. “In more ways than one.”   

 

Ashlyn shakes her head in amusement. “You better stop that or we’ll be the ones sneaking off to the bathroom instead of these teenagers we’re monitoring.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right, we should probably get drunk at an afterparty and then sleep together. Much more adult,” Ali teases, eliciting a laugh from Ashlyn.

 

“Al, come on, we’re adults why would we ever do such a thing?”

 

“We would never,” Ali laughs.

 

As usual, not too many students stick around until the end of the night as most leave a little early for after parties or whatever else they may have planned. By the time the DJ plays the last song, there’s a just a three to one ratio of students to chaperones and Ali can’t wait to get home and relax with her girl.

 

“Have a good night, everyone,” Ali says as she and her fellow chaperones head to their cars. “Thanks for all the help tonight.”

 

“See everyone on Monday,” Heather calls.

 

“Ready to go home, beautiful?” Ashlyn asks once they’re settled inside the car.

 

Ali hums, a soft smile gracing her lips as she looks over at her girlfriend. “I like the sound of you calling it ‘home’,” she says. She wants to kiss Ashlyn but they’re still in their parking space with Serv in his car on one side and Syd in her car on the other so it’ll have to wait.

 

Though they managed to have their fun, it’s still been a long night so Ali is quiet as they drive while Ashlyn sings along to the radio. Ali watches her girlfriend as she drives, chewing her lip as she studies the sharp angles and soft curves of Ashlyn’s face. When they get to a light, Ashlyn turns to face Ali. “What?”

 

Ali shakes her head. “Nothing, you’re just adorable and I love you a lot.”

 

Ashlyn grins and takes Ali’s hand in her own and brings it up to her lips to kiss it. “Right back at ya.” She holds Ali’s hand the rest of the way home and only lets go when they pull into the driveway and it’s time to go inside. As soon as they’re inside, she scoops Ali into her arms and carries her into the bedroom, leaving Ali’s knee scooter in the entryway. “I love you,” Ashlyn says as she gently lays Ali down in the middle of the bed.

 

“I love you too,” Ali replies, gently cupping Ashlyn’s cheek with her hand. “Thank you for helping out tonight and for keeping me company and, you know, for taking care of me these last few weeks.”

 

Ashlyn lies next to Ali and captures her lips in a quick kiss. “Al, it’s the least I could do. You give so much of yourself and the school but that doesn’t mean you don’t get to be taken care of. You deserve the best and I’m so lucky to be the one who gets to love you.”

 

“You’re sweet,” Ali grins. “Now will you please fuck me? Because I’ve been thinking about it since I saw you in that suit.”

 

“Whatever you say, boss.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in this update it's been a pretty hectic week. 
> 
> We're coming to the end now so:
> 
> how do you think their friends will react when they find out? How do you think they'll find out?  
> what do you think the district will do when they find out? Do you think they'll be able to stay where they are or do you think one or both will have to leave?  
> do you have anything you'd like to see in follow-up one shots? I have a couple of ideas but I can always use more ;)
> 
> Here's a hint for those questions: there are still some tense moments coming up so consider that as you answer ;)


	12. coming clean

 

When the school year comes to a close, Ali decides that she wants to host a barbeque for her closest friends at school. It’s been a rollercoaster few months and she wants to show appreciation to those who have helped her with her injury and who (knowingly or not) helped her through the short-lived breakup with Ashlyn. Plus, it’s important to her to get the whole crew together before she and Ashlyn disclose their relationship to the district because she’s not sure what will happen after and she wants to thank her friends one last time in case it’s her last year working with them.

 

She schedules the barbecue for the Saturday after school gets out and does what she can to get the house and food ready while Ashlyn takes care of the rest.

 

As usual, Heather is the first to arrive and helps Ali and Ashlyn finish getting everything ready before everyone else arrives. It’s a much smaller production than the end of year party so Ali relaxes on a lounge chair as Ashlyn and Heather finish up the last few tasks.

 

Kelley and Alex arrive together followed closely by Whitney, Becky, and Syd. It’s a small, intimate group and Ali can’t imagine a better group of friends. They open a bottle of wine as soon as everyone has arrived and sit around Ali’s outdoor table by her pool.

 

“I’m so ready for this summer,” Kelley says. “I love my students but, oh my god, I’m so happy to not have to deal with teenage angst for the next three months. I get to a point where I want to send anyone who looks at me the wrong way down to HAO and Ali.”

 

“Thanks for that,” Heather laughs. “And you have no room to talk. Ali and I have to deal with shit every single day. Oh, some idiot student ran around the school naked for senior prank day then got hit by a car? Send him to us. Someone gets caught smoking or masturbating or having sex in the bathrooms? That’s us too. We don’t get to have any normal days.”

 

“I still can’t believe that kid walked away with hardly a scrape,” Becky says.

 

They all trade funny stories about the year they’ve had and quickly polish off a few bottles of wine as they chat. The weather is perfect and the company is good and sometimes Ali finds herself simply listening to her friends talk rather than joining in. Their personalities are all so different but they form a tight-knit group and she adores every single one of these women and what they bring to her life.

 

When Heather pours a third round of wine for everyone, she accidentally knocks over one of the glasses, spilling red wine all over her white shirt.

 

“Shit,” she exclaims. “Well, this shirt is a goner. Do you have one I could borrow, Ali?”

 

“Yeah, I can get you one,” Ali replies, making a move to get up.

 

“I can get it myself if you tell me where they are.”

 

“Second drawer in my dresser.”

 

Heather nods and opens the sliding door, making her way inside. She easily locates Ali’s t-shirt drawer but when she looks up, she notices a framed photo of Ali and Ashlyn on top of the dresser. In the photo, both women are fairly dressed up for what appears to be a date and Ashlyn is kissing Ali’s cheek. Heather quickly closes the drawer and leaves Ali’s bedroom, not even bothering to change her shirt. She goes all the way to the sliding screen door in the kitchen and calls outside, “I can’t find any, can you come help, Al?”

 

“Coming,” Ali replies. She gets off of her patio chair and rests her knee on her scooter and makes her way into the house. Heather has already returned to her bedroom so she follows after her. “Did I not have any clean ones or something?” she asks as she enters the room. “Oh, shit,” she exclaims.

 

Heather is not standing in front of the dresser as Ali expected. Instead, she’s sitting on her bed with a picture frame in her hands, looking confused and hurt. Ali doesn’t need to look to know which one she’s holding.

 

“Are you and Ashlyn together?” Heather asks quietly.

 

Ali nods.

 

“How long?”

 

Ali avoids eye contact as she answers, “we first started dating in mid-December but broke up in April. We recently got back together.” As good as it feels to say, she can tell Heather is pissed so she can’t breathe easy just yet.

 

“Wow, so you kept this from me for six months,” Heather says, looking down at the photo again. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“We didn’t want the district to find out until we knew what to do,” Ali explains. When Heather is silent for a moment, Ali knows she said the wrong thing.

 

“You think I was gonna tell on you?” Heather questions, hurt evident in her voice. “You didn’t trust me?”

 

Ali moves to sit next to her friend on the bed. “No, that’s not it at all,” she replies. “We couldn’t tell anyone because it’s against the rules and we didn’t want them to find out before we could tell them ourselves.”

 

“I know it’s against the rules but that doesn’t mean I would have told anyone. I might have made sure you really thought it through but I would’ve been happy for you, Ali. You’re the one who always says that we need to be open and honest and you’ve been lying to me for months.”

 

“I haven’t been lying to you, I just didn’t tell you,” Ali tries. In all the time she’s known Heather, she’s never seen her look so hurt and it pains her to know that she caused this. She always knew that Heather would be hurt that she kept this from her for so long but she wanted the chance to tell her herself. She owed her friend that much but she’s lost her chance.

 

“You did lie to me,” Heather snaps. “You lied to me a lot. What about when I asked what your Valentine’s plans were and you said you were perfectly fine being single and that you would find someone eventually? I don’t know about you, but that certainly sounds like a lie to me.”

 

“I wanted to tell you. God, you have no idea how badly I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t. We had to protect ourselves because we didn’t know what would happen when the district found out.”

 

“I understand that but you’re one of my best friends and it really, really hurts that you kept something like this from me.”

 

“It hurt me too,” Ali says quietly. “It hurt me every day knowing that I had to keep this from you. You are such a good friend and you deserve honesty, you really do, but I couldn’t. We couldn’t tell anyone and that’s what broke us up for a while.”

 

“Are you happy?” Heather asks, wiping tears from her eyes. “Does Ashlyn make you happy? Because I’m kind of struggling with this being against the rules. I don’t want either of you to get in trouble if this is some casual thing.”

 

“She really does,” Ali grins. “Believe me, we didn’t jump into this without considering the rules. We tried to just be friends but we just couldn’t stay away. I’m in love with her.”

 

“Good, I’m glad. Who else knows?”

 

“Only our families and Kelley.”

 

“Kelley? You told Kelley before you told me?” Heather asks, defensive all over again. “I mean, I love her but I just, I don’t know, I’m a little surprised that you told her before me.”

 

Ali shakes her head and slings an arm around HAO’s shoulders. “It’s not like that; she noticed the spark between us at the end of summer party last year and has been on me pretty much ever since. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take the risk at first and Kel gave me a lot of advice.”

 

“Wait, so that’s what the meetings in your office were about?”

 

Ali cringes a little as she nods. She knows better than anyone just how complicated her string of lies became, especially the ones she told Heather, and now that she’s being questioned, she feels all that guilt come flooding back tenfold. “Again, I really wanted to tell you.”

 

“When are you gonna tell the district?”

 

“Ash and I are gonna email Donna on Monday morning to schedule a meeting.”

 

“Will you lose your jobs?”

 

Ali shrugs. “I hope not but one of us will might at least be reassigned to a different school in the district. You could be principal by the end of next week.”

 

Heather nods slowly as she takes in everything Ali has told her. She looks down at the photo in her hands, gently running her thumbs along the edges of the frame. “You make a cute couple,” she finally says.

 

“I think so too,” Ali grins. “Neither one of us could stay away no matter how hard we tried. Though, to be fair, we didn’t try that hard.”

 

“And she treats you well? I mean, I’m assuming she does because she’s great and because you don’t take shit from anyone but I just want to make sure.”

 

Ali grins a little at her protective friend. They’ve been through a lot together in the years they’ve known each other and it doesn’t surprise her that Heather is a little protective. “She’s pretty amazing,” she replies. “Definitely the kind of person I can see myself with for the long haul. Especially now that we learned our lesson about the importance of communication when we broke up. We’ve worked through that and I love having her here with me.”

 

“Wait, do you live together?”

 

“No,” Ali replies. “At least, not officially. She’s just been staying here to help me since I got hurt, that much is true.”

 

“Oh, okay. I really am happy for you.”

 

“I appreciate that. I’m sorry for lying.”

 

“It’s okay, it’s what you had to do,” Heather replies. She stands to put the photo back where it goes and finally remembers that she was supposed to be changing her shirt. She opens the drawer and selects an Oakwood t-shirt from the top of the pile. It just so happens to be Ashlyn's dark green Battle for Troy shirt. In fact, that entire stack of shirts seem to be Ashlyn’s. “I thought she doesn’t live here,” she teases, holding up the green team shirt with Harris on the back. She glances back down at the rest of the shirts in the pile, “otherwise, you seem to own a lot of Carolina shirts now.”

 

Ali shrugs, smirking. “I said she doesn’t officially live here. There’s a difference.” She pauses for a moment as Heather quickly changes her shirt. “Are we good?” she asks, meeting Heather’s eyes when they’re ready to go back outside.

 

“Yeah, we’re good,” Heather grins, pulling Ali into a quick hug. “I’m so, so happy for you.”

 

As Heather goes outside, Ali hangs back in the kitchen and asks her to send Ashlyn inside.

 

“Everything okay?” Ashlyn questions. “Is it your leg?”

 

“Everything is fine,” Ali replies. She puts her hands on Ashlyn’s hips and draws her in for a kiss. “HAO knows about us.”

 

“You told her?”

 

Ali shakes her head. “I forgot about the picture of us on my dresser and she asked me about it. She was kind of hurt that I didn’t tell her but I think she understands that it wasn’t something I wanted to keep from her and that we didn’t really have a choice.”

 

“Well I’m glad that she’s okay,” Ashlyn says.

 

“I think we need to tell everyone else. I mean, we’re talking to the district next week, right? So we can tell everyone while they’re all here and just ask that they not say anything until we talk to the district ourselves. We can trust them.”

 

Initially, they planned on telling everyone after they talk to the district. They don’t know what will happen and they figured everyone would want to know whether they’ll be at Oakwood next year or not. But now Ali realizes that they could really use their friends’ support as they prepare to disclose their relationship. Besides, it wasn’t fair to Heather that she had to find out the way she did and they owe it to their friends to tell them.

 

“Let’s get out there before we talk ourselves out of it,” Ashlyn says. She leads the way back outside and stands in front of the table where their friends are gathered.

 

“You guys gonna sit down or stand there all day?” Syd jokes.

 

“We actually wanted to talk to you guys about something,” Ali begins. “Ash and I are together.”

 

Everyone at the table has mixed reactions. Kelley, who has known about them the whole time, sips her drink and curiously glances at everyone else. Heather still seems to be processing the whole thing but she smiles at the announcement. Whitney, Alex, and Syd look mildly surprised for a moment before nodding their heads, as if it makes sense. Becky, meanwhile, just shrugs her shoulders.

 

“What else is new,” Becky deadpans.

 

“Wait, you knew?” Ali asks as she and Ashlyn take their seats.

 

“I kind of figured,” Becky replies. “It seemed like you couldn’t or didn’t want to talk about it because of your positions at school so I didn’t say anything.”

 

Whitney, Syd, and Alex, meanwhile, have lots of questions.

 

Ali and Ashlyn patiently field every question that comes their way and they explain that they first started dating in December but that disagreements about telling the district ultimately led to a short-lived breakup in the spring. They tell them that they plan on talking to the district next week and that there's a possibility that one or both may not return to Oakwood in the fall, though they do hope that they’ll both be able to stay. They’re all super supportive of their relationship which helps Ali relax a little knowing that at least their friends will still be there.

 

“Wait, Ash, is this why you would never meet anyone I wanted to set you up with?” Whitney questions.

 

“Yep,” Ashlyn replies. “I’m sure they’re lovely but they can’t beat this one,” she grins, taking Ali’s hand onto her lap.

 

Now, Whitney’s face falls. “And when you did go out with Erica it was when you were broken up?”

 

Ashlyn nods.

 

“Oh no, and I bragged about it to Ali. I’m so, so sorry. Both of you, I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ali replies. “You had no way of knowing. Besides, it all worked out in the end.”

 

Ali leans her head on Ashlyn’s shoulder, more content than she’s been in the last year. So much of the school year was spent hiding their relationship and then hiding their breakup so now that they’re finally able to be affectionate in front of their friends, it’s a massive weight off of her shoulders. If nothing else, telling the district will finally allow them to be free.

 

News of their relationship dominates the conversation for over half an hour but once everyone has asked the questions they needed to ask, the conversation switches back to more normal topics.

 

Almost everyone has big summer vacation plans. Heather and Dave will be off to London shortly for a vacation while Becky and her boyfriend plan on a more tropical, adventurous getaway while school is out. Kelley mentions that she plans on surfing her days away and Ashlyn eagerly agrees to join her on her trips to the coast.

 

Since Ali and Ashlyn were broken up during the spring and only recently got back together, they don’t have any definite plans of their own, Though Ali hopes to bring Ashlyn to DC to meet her family there and to have Kyle come for a visit to Orlando. Ashlyn has already met Deb in person but she has yet to meet Ali’s dad or Kyle so that’s an important order of business. Similarly, Ashlyn plans on taking Ali to her hometown at some point so she can introduce her to her family. They can only hope that if they need to job hunt, it’ll be as quick and painless as possible.

 

“I don’t want either of you to leave,” Alex says as they talk about the potential job hunt.

 

“Trust me, neither of us wants to leave,” Ali replies. “We’re hoping that by coming to them instead of them finding out another way that we’ll be able to work with them. At the very least, we’d both like to stay in the district.”

 

“Whatever you do, don’t go to East Lake; their colors are horrible,” Syd says.

 

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Ali laughs.

 

~

 

Once everyone has gone home, Ali is more resolute than ever to talk to the district. She’s still a little afraid of what will happen but now she craves the freedom that will follow. After they told their friends, they were able to be affectionate in front of them and no longer had to worry about what they might say or do that would give them away. She’s done with sneaking around and talking to the district is the final step.

 

“Hey, maybe the district will take it as well as they did,” Ashlyn muses as they get ready for bed.

 

“Yeah, right,” Ali laughs. “We should get our resumes ready to hit the ground running. Maybe practice our interview skills a little.” She slips into bed, curling up under the covers.

 

Ashlyn plugs her phone in and slides into bed next to Ali. “So, Ms. Krieger, why do you want this job?” she asks playfully.

 

Ali pretends to think for a moment, looking as serious as she can muster. “So I can find the hottest teacher in the school and fall in love with them.”

 

“Hmm, I don’t know if that’s the answer we were looking for,” Ashlyn says, clicking her tongue disapprovingly. “Okay, how about this: why did your last job end?”

 

“I fell in love with the hottest teacher in the school,” Ali replies. She moves closer to her girlfriend and kisses her, playfully nipping her bottom lip.

 

“Also maybe don’t kiss the interviewer,” Ashlyn says. “Geez, Al, you have a lot of work to do.”

 

“Okay, okay,” Ali laughs, separating herself from Ashlyn. “Ms. Harris, why do you want this job?”

 

“Because I need the money, obviously,” Ashlyn deadpans. “I have shit to buy and a girlfriend I need to spoil.”

 

“Guess we both need to work on our interview skills,” Ali laughs. She doesn’t actually believe that they will both lose their jobs because that would be a pretty extreme response considering they’ve remained extremely professional but she does worry that at least one of them will be on the job hunt. Unless they don’t care for whatever reason, she thinks it’s most likely that one of them will be reassigned within the district.

 

“Oh, did I tell you that my cousin and his family will be here the weekend after next to go to Universal? They asked if we want to go with but I wasn’t sure with your leg.”

 

“Not sure I can do too much there but I’d still love to tag along. Isn’t my next appointment a week from Tuesday? I’ll make sure to ask if it’ll be okay. Do you want to invite them to stay here so they don’t have to drive home or get a hotel?” Ali offers.

 

“You wouldn’t mind having them here?” Ashlyn asks. She gently plays with Ali’s hair as they talk and after quite a few glasses of wine, Ali is growing sleepy.

 

“Of course I don’t mind, they’re your family. Plus, you know I’m dying to meet your little cousin--that little peanut is too damn cute.”

 

“I have a feeling I’m gonna regret this,” Ashlyn laughs. “But first, let’s make it through next week and your appointment.”  

 

~

 

On Monday morning, Ali drafts an email to the superintendent to request a meeting with her and with the three human resource managers. She and Ashlyn agree not to tell them what the meeting will pertain to because they don’t want anyone to make up their minds about potential punishments before they have a chance to make their case.

 

Despite it being summer vacation, the superintendent replies almost instantly to say that the best time to meet will be on Tuesday morning when she meets with the human resource department department to discuss positions they need to fill for the next year. Between retirements and people leaving for other opportunities, there are already a few openings and Ali and Ashlyn can only hope that their positions won’t be added to the list.

 

“Holy shit, we’re gonna tell them tomorrow,” Ali says after she’s read the response aloud to Ashlyn. She covers her mouth with her hand, both nervous and excited (mostly nervous).

 

Ashlyn puts a comforting hand on Ali’s upper thigh. “No matter what, it will be okay. I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I appreciate all the comments you leave :)
> 
> Several of you mentioned wanting to see them with kids as a follow-up which is definitely in the plans but if you have any scenario prompts of them with their future kids (or any other specific prompts), let me know. It might help me get over this writer's block.


	13. disclosure

 

Neither Ali nor Ashlyn sleeps very well on Monday night. In the morning, they’ll be meeting with the superintendent and the district’s three human resource managers to disclose their relationship and they have no idea what the outcome will be. After a restless night, Ashlyn is the first out of bed in the morning and makes egg sandwiches and coffee, partially to distract herself and partially because she doesn’t know how long the meeting will take. When Ali emerges from the bedroom fifteen minutes later, Ashlyn is just pouring their coffee.

 

“How’d you sleep?” Ashlyn asks teasingly. She felt Ali changing positions all night so she knows that Ali slept worse than she did.

 

“Oh, just great,” Ali deadpans. “Best night of sleep I’ve ever had.”

 

“Same here.”

 

Ashlyn sets Ali’s coffee in front of where she sits at the island and sets her own in front of the empty seat. When she finishes making their bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, she slides onto the stool next to Ali who doesn’t seem too interested in eating at the moment.

 

“We’ll be okay no matter what, right?” Ali asks, completely ignoring her food.

 

“Of course, baby,” Ashlyn replies. She turns to face her girlfriend and takes her hand, bringing it to her lips and kissing it gently. “You and I are gonna thrive. We’re healthy, we have good friends, and, most importantly, we have each other. I love what I do and I know you feel the same way but the love I have for my job doesn’t come close to the love I have for you. Whatever happens today, I’ll be by your side and we’ll get through it together.”

 

Ali nods. She wipes a few tears away with her free hand and leans in to kiss Ashlyn. “Promise?”

 

“Promise,” Ashlyn replies, kissing Ali’s lips once again. “One day, this will all just be part of the story of how we got together. You have to admit, it’s a pretty cool story to tell our kids.” She knows exactly what she’s doing when she mentions kids. She knows it’ll make Ali smile and when her girlfriend pulls back with an amused expression, she knows that, at least for the moment, Ali isn’t worried about the meeting.

 

“Kids?” Ali asks, lips curling into a grin.

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “I mean, I know it’s a little soon to talk about but we both want them and I don’t plan on letting you go anytime soon.”  

 

Suddenly, all of Ali’s nerves fade away. This is what she’s fighting for: the chance to have it all with this wonderful, hilarious, kind, beautiful woman next to her. The possibility that they can build a future and a family together. There will be other jobs and other professional opportunities but Ashlyn brings so much more into her life than any job ever could. It’s still too early to know what will happen but she knows without a doubt that the possibility of a future with Ashlyn is worth every risk.

 

When they walk into their meeting just after ten in the morning, Ali holds her head high and smiles, attempting to look as confident and casual as possible which is easier said than done when she literally wheels into the conference room on a knee scooter. She holds her smile as she greets the superintendent, the director of human resources, the assistant director of human resources, the employee placement and processing administrator, and the HR secretary. She’s dealt with all of them before and she knows that Scott, the assistant director of human resources, will likely be their biggest challenge.

 

Ashlyn has only met everyone once during her round of interviews last summer so she reintroduces herself and takes the seat next to Ali.

 

“So what brings you here today?” the superintendent, Donna, asks.

 

“Ashlyn and I would like to disclose that we are in a relationship,” Ali says. She looks between each of the people in the room, gauging their reactions as the secretary types the meeting notes.

 

“I see,” Donna replies. “When did this relationship begin?”

 

Now is the hard part. They could say that it began a few weeks ago when they got back together and avoid explaining that they kept it a secret for a few months. They discussed what they would say before they meeting and agreed that if they’re gonna do this, they’re going to be completely honest. No more secrets.

 

“We initially began dating in December but broke up for a few months. We only recently got back together after Ali broke her ankle.”

 

“You’re aware that this relationship is a conflict of interests, right?” Scott asks. “And a breach of  your contracts.”

 

“We are aware of that, yes,” Ali replies, confidence unwavering.

 

“Well, there we go. Case closed,” Scott says. “We should terminate both of you.”

 

“Hold on,” Donna says. “Let them speak.”

 

Ali nods her thanks to Donna who, although not necessarily a friend, has always been friendly to her and really pushed for her to become vice principal a few years ago. “We understand that this is against our contracts which is why we wanted to disclose our relationship. But I can assure you that we were nothing but professional at school.”

 

“That’s what they all say,” Scott replies.

 

“It’s true,” Ali says. “You can verify that statement with Kelley O’Hara, one of our biology teachers. She knew about our relationship from the start and she can vouch that we kept our professional and personal lives separate. In fact, hardly anyone else figured out we are dating. As for the conflict of interests, I can assure you that I did everything in my power to avoid it. I did not give Ashlyn preferential treatment nor did she attempt to receive preferential treatment.” This was the one thing they agreed to gloss over. Ashlyn did ask Ali for the coaching position but they both felt it was best to leave that out because that would automatically nullify the rest of their case. No one else knows that little detail and they plan to keep it that way.

 

“What about the end of year assessment of Ashlyn?” the director of human resources, Jody, asks. “You had to show some bias and those performance reviews play a big part in determining raises.”

 

“I actually had very little to do with Ashlyn’s performance review. My vice principal, Heather, worked with Ashlyn all year to guide one of our more troublesome students. We had zero support from home as far as discipline so Ashlyn and Heather worked closely to give him the encouragement he doesn’t get at home. Since they worked together so much, I trusted Heather to do Ashlyn’s review and just looked over it once it was completed. Besides, that was during the period in which Ashlyn and I were broken up so I can assure you that even if I had completed the review, every bit of it was earned. I don’t know how many would give their ex a glowing review like that if it wasn’t completely earned.” This last statement elicits a chuckle from everyone else in the room and Ali hopes that she’s found a way to break through the building tension.

 

Finally, Donna turns to Ashlyn. “Did you enter this relationship thinking or hoping that you would receive preferential treatment?”

 

“No, absolutely not.”

 

Donna turns to Ali. “Did you in any way use the power of your position to coerce Ashlyn?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

“We were aware of the reasons why we shouldn’t get involved,” Ashlyn begins, “but, ultimately, we decided that we deserved to give this a chance. I certainly did not start work in this district thinking that I would fall for my boss and when I did, I weighed my options for months before we finally acted.”

 

Ali nods her agreement. “This is not something we take lightly. We by no means jumped into this relationship without considering the possible ramifications.”

 

“And why did you choose to wait so long to disclose this information?” Jody questions. Unlike Scott, whose tone is more accusatory than anything else, Jody is simply trying to gather all the facts before they make a decision.

 

Ashlyn looks at Ali, wordlessly telling her that she’ll take the lead on this question. “At first, we weren’t sure where the relationship would go. We were only together for a few months before we broke up and then we just recently got back together and decided it would be best to wait until the school year ended. Especially if I have to leave Oakwood, we felt that it was important for my students to have consistency at the end of their school year rather than losing their teacher mid quarter.”

 

“You make a compelling argument there,” Jody replies.

 

Scott groans in frustration, slapping his hands on the table in front of him. “This is completely irrelevant. You both breached your contracts and should be terminated immediately.”

 

“I think we all know that such a measure would be unnecessary, considering everything they’ve told us so far,” Donna says.

 

Ali breathes a sigh of relief that at least they won’t both be fired. At this point, only Scott seems to have made his decision while Donna, Jody, and Anne, the employee placement administrator, still seem to be making up their minds about the best way to proceed. If they play their cards right, one of them might be able to stay at Oakwood while the other takes a reassignment to another school in the district.

 

“Speaking of contracts, can we get a copy of one in here?” Anne asks. “I think it’s important to know the exact language used.”

 

“Excellent point, I’ll go print one,” Jody says.

 

The next five minutes are tense and painfully silent. Ali and Ashlyn previously tried to find one of their contracts to prepare for this moment but it’s been a few years since Ali signed hers and she wasn’t able to locate it while Ashlyn’s got lost somewhere in the shuffle of moving to Orlando. Eventually, Ali reaches to take Ashlyn’s hand into her own, holding it in her lap. A little affection certainly won’t change the outcome and she needs to draw strength from her girlfriend.

 

“How are you feeling?” Ashlyn whispers, looking over at Ali.

 

Ali shrugs. “I’m okay. You?”

 

“Nervous,” Ashlyn says.

 

Ali gives Ashlyn’s hand a squeeze as Jody reenters the room with several copies of the educator contract, the exact same contract Ashlyn signed less than a year ago. Ali is under an administrator contract but as Jody explains, the relevant sections are identical in the two contracts so she printed the first one she came across.

 

“The relevant section is on page four,” Jody says. Once everyone has flipped to the proper page, she begins to read aloud.

 

 

> _The district prohibits consensual relationships of a dating, and/or sexual nature between two faculty or staff members in which one is a direct superior to the other. Furthermore, the district strongly discourages dating and/or sexual relationships even in cases when there is no direct power relationship._
> 
>  
> 
> _If such a relationship should commence, it is the duty of the parties involved to report the relationship to the principal. If the principal is one of said parties, they are obligated to report the relationship to the superintendent or human resources. When such a report is received, it is up to the superintendent and HR to determine the response on a case by case basis, up to reassignment or termination._

  


“Like I said, breach of contract,” Scott says.

 

This time, Donna simply ignores him. She reads over the contract once again and looks between Ali and Ashlyn. “As far as I’m concerned, since no other rules have been violated, termination is unnecessary.”

 

Jody and Anne state their agreement while Scott rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest.

 

“Before we proceed any further, is there anything else you would like to say?”

 

“Before you make your decision, I would like you to know that I am deeply passionate about Oakwood and my students and staff. I can’t imagine a better place to work and I hope you understand that none of this affected my or Ashlyn’s ability to do our jobs,” Ali says.

 

“I too love Oakwood,” Ashlyn says. “I’ve only been there for a year but I love it as if I’ve spent my entire career there. It’s a special school with an incredible group of students and it’s an honor to be part of it. That being said, I haven’t been there nearly as long as Ali and if you decide to reassign one of us, I would prefer for it to be me so she can stay at Oakwood.”

 

“Could you ladies give us a few to discuss how to proceed?” Donna asks.

 

“Absolutely,” Ali replies. She moves to get out of her chair and onto her scooter but Anne gives her a sympathetic look and suggests that Ali and Ashlyn stay seated while everyone else speaks outside. Once alone in the conference room, Ashlyn groans and drops her head into her hands.

 

“I’m sorry, Al,” Ashlyn says. She lifts her head up and looks over at Ali who is nervously picking at her nail polish.

 

“No reason to be sorry,” Ali replies, looking up to meet Ashlyn’s gaze. “We’re in this together and we’ll deal with it together. I wish it didn’t have to be this way but we both knew what we were getting into. It’s that old adage: it takes two to tango and we’ve tangoed a lot.”

 

Ashlyn laughs and shakes her head incredulously. “Did you just make a joke about our sex life while we’re waiting to find out if we still have jobs or not?”

 

“Maybe,” Ali shrugs. She scoots her chair a little closer to Ashlyn and rests her head on her shoulder. “Can we nap when we get home? I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

 

“It’s gonna be so weird when I go back to my apartment,” Ashlyn says. “I’ll miss not sleeping next to you every night.”

 

Ali narrows her eyes in confusion for a moment before she remembers that they don’t actually live together. It’s been five weeks and it feels so normal having Ashlyn around that she completely forgot about Ashlyn’s apartment. “Somehow I think you’ll still end up spending most nights with me. You know, to get away from your roommate,” she says, eliciting a laugh from Ashlyn.  

 

“Right, to get away from my roommate. Not because I love you and want to be with you or anything.”

 

“Can’t see why you would want that,” Ali quips just as everyone else reenters the room. She lifts her head off of Ashlyn’s shoulder and sits back up, steeling herself for whatever punishment they’re about to receive.

 

“We spoke a lot about your case,” Donna begins. “And we think it’s best if Ashlyn is reassigned. We know that you two have been careful to sidestep the conflict of interests but it’s still there and we would rather avoid it altogether. We still want both of you in the district so this seems like the best compromise.”

 

Ashlyn nods, accepting her fate but as Ali sits there, a thought occurs to her.

 

“What if I take my old vice principal job back?” she offers. “That way, my duties would not require Ashlyn to report to me at all. I can assure you that my vice principal, Heather, is fully capable of taking over principal duties. In fact, she’s been shouldering a lot of the load since I injured my ankle.” It’s truly a last ditch effort but the contract doesn’t specify what the outcome should be, nor does it state that reassignment refers to moving one party to a different school. Reassignment to a different position in the same school in which Ali is no longer Ashlyn’s direct superior sounds like the perfect compromise.

 

Donne purses her lips in thought for a moment as she considers Ali’s proposal. “Give us another moment,” she says, leading everyone back out of the conference room.

 

“Holy shit, Al, I had no idea you were gonna suggest that,” Ashlyn says.

 

“Neither did I,” Ali chuckles. “It just kind of happened. It could work, though, don’t you think?”

 

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t. Like you said, I wouldn’t report directly to you and we both get to stay where we’re comfortable. Would you be willing to take a demotion, though?”  

 

“Of course,” Ali replies. “It’s still a really good position and it’s better than either one of us leaving.”

 

Mercifully, this deliberation doesn’t take nearly as long as the previous one. When everyone reenters the room, Ali takes a deep breath and hopes for the best.

 

“You made a very compelling proposal, Ali. We will run it by your vice principal this afternoon and if she agrees, we think it could be a good solution. We’ll get back to you shortly,” Donna says.

 

Ali and Ashlyn thank them for their time and leave the administration building. They don’t speak as they make their way to Ashlyn’s car and once they’re settled inside, both women let out a sigh of relief.

 

“Did that just happen?” Ali asks.

 

“It did,” Ashlyn grins. “No more hiding and as long as HAO agrees to take your job then we’ll both be back at Oakwood in the fall.”

 

“She’ll accept. I mean, we kind of thought that I would have to leave so I think she was already mentally preparing herself for a promotion. She will make a great principal.”

 

Instead of heading straight home, Ashlyn decides that a celebratory lunch is in order and drives to a local Italian restaurant. It’s less than five minutes from Ali’s house and a popular spot in the area so it’s the exact type of place they have been avoiding since they started dating.

 

Their waitress for the afternoon happens to be a recently graduated Oakwood student. She was the senior class president so Ali know her fairly well and recognizes her immediately. The 18 year old introduces herself as Savannah (which Ali already knew) and turns to greet Ali.

 

“Hi, Ms. Krieger, how’s the ankle?”

 

“Getting there, I hope,” Ali replies. “I have an appointment next week so hopefully I’ll get this cast off and some type of walking boot. You’re heading to Florida State, right? How long until you move up to Tallahassee?”

 

“Not for another two months. In the meantime, I’m working here to save up money. What would you two like to drink?”

 

Since they’re in a celebratory mood, both Ali and Ashlyn decide that they’ll have a glass of wine and then switch to water so a few minutes later, Savannah returns with two glasses of wine and two glasses of water.  

 

“To us,” Ashlyn says, holding up her wine glass to clink against Ali’s. “To no more hiding and no more fear.”

 

“I’ll drink to that,” Ali grins.

 

As lunch goes on, Ali feels a little awkward about clearly being on a date with Ashlyn when their waitress is a former student. She reminds herself time and time again that they have already disclosed their relationship and there’s no reason why they wouldn’t be allowed to be on a date in public. They’ve had to hide their relationship for so long that she defaults to cautiousness but when Ashlyn takes her hand across the table, she smiles and doesn’t pull away.

 

“What a day,” Ashlyn says.

 

“It’s only noon,” Ali notes with a smile.

 

“Still time for it to get even better, then.”  

 

“Not gonna lie, I was kind of nervous at first when I saw that Savannah is our waitress. I mean, I know that we have nothing to hide anymore but I’m still so used to being careful that I had to remind myself that it’s okay.”

 

“I understand. It’ll take some getting used to but it’s so worth it. We can be ourselves now and not constantly look over our shoulders,” Ashlyn says.

 

Savannah never says anything about Ali and Ashlyn being together which Ali initially assumes is because she doesn’t recognize Ashlyn who really only teaches freshmen. But when Ashlyn still has food left on her plate at the end of their lunch, Savannah addresses Ashlyn as Ms. Harris when she asks if she needs a box and Ali remembers that they met while preparing the banquet hall for prom. When Savannah returns to their table, she has a box for Ashlyn and a single bill which Ali grabs before Ashlyn can get a hand on it.

 

“My treat,” Ali smiles. “You’ve been so wonderful recently helping me out around the house so I kind of owe you, like, our next twenty dates.”

 

“Fair enough,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

~

 

They had such a relaxing lunch date that Ali completely forgot they were expecting a followup from Donna until she checks her email later in the afternoon as Ashlyn cuts the grass outside. The email is just as expected, Heather would be happy to take the principal job and is thrilled to still have both Ali and Ashlyn at Oakwood. According to Donna, Heather couldn’t say enough kind things about the pair and how they’ve conducted themselves at school which only reinforced their decision to allow Ali and Ashlyn to both stay.

 

When Ashlyn comes back inside dripping with sweat from mowing the grass, Ali can’t resist a hug.

 

“Heather agreed to switch jobs with me,” Ali says, holding Ashlyn tight.

 

“Baby, that’s great,” Ashlyn exclaims. “I have a feeling next school year will be the best yet.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ya go! Only two more regular chapters after this :/ 
> 
> What do you think about the solution? Did you see it coming?  
> 


	14. if you're the art I'll be the brush

 

“Right there, baby,” Ashlyn encourages. “Don’t stop,” she breathes, grinding herself onto Ali’s fingers. 

 

After they got word that Heather agreed to take the principal position, leaving the vice principal position open for Ali to take, Ashlyn went off to shower and Ali decided to light some candles and put lingerie on so they could really celebrate. Her plan was incredibly well received and it wasn’t long before Ashlyn’s head was buried between her thighs. Now, Ali is returning the favor and she has Ashlyn right on the edge when she hears the doorbell ring. 

 

“Did you hear that?” Ali asks, pausing her movement for a second. 

 

Ashlyn groans in frustration and drops her head back against the pillows. “Please don’t leave me hanging,” she begs. 

 

Neither of them is expecting company so Ali figures it must be a solicitor and gets right back to work, which Ashlyn appreciates. 

 

This time, it’s Ali’s phone that rings just as Ashlyn is about to come. 

 

“Ignore it,” Ashlyn grits. 

 

Ali sighs and figures that she’ll be in less trouble for letting her phone go to voicemail than she’ll be if she teases Ashlyn any longer. She speeds up a little, pushing Ashlyn over the edge before the call even goes to voicemail. With her left hand, she reaches to answer her phone all while licking the fingers on her right hand clean which makes Ashlyn’s eyes roll into the back of her head as if she’s going to come for a second time. 

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ashlyn whispers. “That was cruel.” 

 

Ali shushes her and greets Heather, talking for just a moment before ending the call. “HAO’s at the door,” she says. She gets out of bed and pulls her clothes on, leaving Ashlyn behind to get herself ready. 

 

“I didn’t know you were stopping by,” Ali says, greeting Heather with a hug. 

 

“I didn’t either but Dave and I were at the grocery store nearby and I wanted to see you guys. I hope it’s okay.”

 

“More than okay, come in,” Ali replies. She steps aside to let Heather and Dave into the house just as Ashlyn emerges from the bedroom. She’s fully dressed but her hair is disheveled (as is Ali’s) and she’s a little flushed so it’s pretty obvious what they were just doing. 

 

“Did we interrupt something?” Heather asks in amusement. 

 

“No,” Ali replies. 

 

“Yes,” Ashlyn says at the exact same moment.

 

“We won’t be long,” Heather promises. “I just wanted to ask you what happened today. Not gonna lie, when Donna first called and asked if I would be interested in the principal position, I thought you were fired.”

 

“Nope, not fired, just switching jobs with you.” 

 

Together, she and Ashlyn explain what happened at their meeting, including the initial response that Ashlyn would be reassigned to another school and Ali’s stroke of brilliance to suggest that she be reassigned as vice principal. They also explain that since they did technically break the rules (though they did the right thing by disclosing their relationship) they will essentially be on probation for the next year. They are expected to maintain professionalism at school and if it seems they cannot leave their relationship at home then Donna and HR reserve the right to reevaluate the situation and make changes if necessary. 

 

“So you’re both staying?” Heather asks. 

 

“Hope you’re not sick of us,” Ali replies. “We’ll have to go trade offices before school goes back.” 

 

“Definitely not sick of you two,” Heather grins. “Oh, I guess this means I have to host the end of summer party now,” she adds. 

 

“I’ll help you with whatever you need just like you always helped me,” Ali promises. 

 

As promised, Heather and Dave don’t hang out long, despite Ali’s offer to stay for dinner. It’s no matter, though, because even as they talk to Heather and Dave, Ali and Ashlyn’s phones chime with texts and calls and when they finally check them, they see that the rest of their friends have been trying to get ahold of them to learn of their fate. 

 

As Ali responds to each concerned friend, she can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by all the love. Though their friends have only known about their relationship for a few days, they’re all completely invested in them getting the best possible outcome--both personally and professionally. 

 

“We have some pretty great friends,” Ali muses as they both respond to different messages. 

 

“That we do. Great friends, great girlfriend, and we both get to keep our jobs.” 

 

“Only way it could be better is if I didn’t have this damn cast on,” Ali grumbles. 

 

~

 

Ali has never been more relieved in her life than when she gets her cast off. She has to wear a walking boot for a few more weeks but the cast and the knee scooter are gone and she couldn’t be more excited. 

 

“How’s it feel?” Ashlyn asks as they drive back home. 

 

Ali shrugs. The walking boot isn’t her favorite thing but it’s a vast improvement over the cast so she’ll take it. Plus, she hasn’t actually walked in a few weeks and she’s eager to get back into a normal routine now that she can put weight on her foot. “It’s okay. Closer to the end, right? And at least I can take this off to bathe or when we’re just bumming around the house.” 

 

“I guess you don’t even really need me to stay with you anymore.” 

 

“Yes I do,” Ali replies. She takes Ashlyn’s hand into her lap, gently brushing her thumb back and forth across Ashlyn’s skin. “I like having you there with me. Sure, I’ll be a little more help now that I can at least walk but I still want you with me. I know it’s still a little too soon to officially move in together but a little more cohabitation can’t hurt, right?”

 

“So I’ll just continue staying with you?” 

 

“Yeah, I mean, we’ll just go with what we feel. You can stay with me when you want and you can go back to your place when you want. Nothing has to be official right now, you know? Eventually, I would love for you to move in with me but but there’s no sense in rushing into it.” 

 

“Sounds good to me,” Ashlyn shrugs. “Though I can’t imagine I’ll want to stay at my place very often. You are a much better roommate than Tara even when you annoy the shit out of me.” 

 

“I don’t annoy the shit out of you,” Ali laughs. 

 

“Sometimes,” Ashlyn replies, smirking over at Ali as she parks in the driveway. 

 

“Like when?” Ali challenges. 

 

Ashlyn shakes her head. “Nope, not going there.” 

 

“Please,” Ali begs. “I promise I won’t get mad. Besides, how will I stop doing the things that annoy you if you don’t tell me?” 

 

“Okay, fine. Like sometimes when you’re supposed to do the laundry you forget about the clothes in the washer for a few days and they get musty so we have to rewash them and sometimes you clip your nails but you don’t do it over the toilet or garbage can and they get on the floor.” 

 

“Well that one is easy to solve,” Ali grins. “I’ll just stop cutting my nails.” She smirks at Ashlyn who, in return, shoots her the most unamused glare she has ever seen. “Love you, babe,” she says, patting Ashlyn’s thigh. 

 

“Love you too,” Ashlyn sighs. “Even though you’re the worst.” 

 

Ali gets out of the car and stands in the driveway for a moment, prompting Ashlyn to get out of the car and start walking towards the house until she realizes that Ali isn’t following. 

 

“You coming?” Ashlyn asks. 

 

“Can we go for a walk before we go inside?” She hasn’t been able to walk for six weeks and even before that, she and Ashlyn never had the opportunity to simply walk around the neighborhood together. It’s such a simple thing that they’ve never been able to do together and she needs to exercise her leg anyway. Since her appointment was at 7:30am, it’s still early enough in the day for a nice walk around the neighborhood before it gets too hot.

 

“Yeah, sure,” Ashlyn agrees. 

 

Ali makes her way to the house to drop her purse inside the door. She takes Ashlyn’s hand and together, they make their way down Ali’s driveway and turn right at the street corner. “This boot is so weird,” she notes as they get going. She didn’t really have to walk too much to get out of the doctor’s office and to the car and it’s certainly different to walk on pavement that sometimes slopes than it is to walk through an office. 

 

“You’ll tell me when we need to go back, right? I don’t want you to overdo it too soon.” 

 

“Of course, doctor,” Ali teases. “It doesn’t hurt--it’s just a little awkward. And if I get tired, you can just give me a piggyback ride home, right?”

 

“The best chariot for the queen,” Ashlyn smiles. 

 

They’re so wrapped up in their conversation that they don’t even realize that Joanne is outside watering her flowers until she drops the hose and power walks towards them like she’s on a mission. Ali has a moment of panic and almost drops Ashlyn’s hand out of habit before she remembers that they don’t have to worry about her finding out anymore. Instead of dropping Ashlyn’s hand, she grips it tighter as they pause their walk. 

 

“Hi, Joanne,” Ali greets, her voice dripping with excessive sweetness. 

 

“What’s this?” Joanne asks, gesturing between the two of them. She glances down at their joined hands, looking smug. 

 

“Well,” Ashlyn begins, her tone just as sweet as Ali’s, “we’re taking a walk through the neighborhood. Aren’t we, babe?” 

 

Ali nods, playing up the heart eyes as she looks at Ashlyn before looking back at Joanne. “You know, I just got my cast off and this walking boot put on and I’m supposed to walk a little bit every day to get my strength back up.” 

 

“How long has this been going on?” Joanne questions. 

 

Ali knows exactly what she’s asking but decides to continue playing dumb. “Uh, about three minutes or so? We just walked from my place so not too long.” 

 

“That’s not what I mean. How long have you two been...together?” 

 

“Why? You want to get us an anniversary present?” Ashlyn deadpans. 

 

“No, just want to make sure I have all the facts before I go to the district with this. It’s against our contracts, you know.” 

 

Ashlyn smiles as she looks right at Joanne. “We’ve already discussed our relationship with the district and have found a solution that will work for everyone involved. Which, to be clear, does not include you,” she says. 

 

Joanne sighs and looks like she’s going to walk away but Ali knows that she has more to say so she and Ashlyn stand there and wait patiently. Sure enough, it takes only a few moments for Joanne to get her second wind.

 

“So what’s next, then? First you breach your contracts and date each other. Is the next step when you break up getting involved with students?” 

 

Ashlyn drops Ali’s hand and for a moment, Ali worries that she’s going to hit Joanne or do something similarly stupid but Ashlyn just puts her hands on her hips and stands tall. 

 

“Normally I wouldn’t justify such a ridiculous accusation with a response but since I take my job and protecting my students very, very seriously, I’ll take your bait. There is  _ no  _ comparison between Ali and I dating to the manipulation and abuse behind an educator or any adult getting involved with a minor. Ali and I are two consenting adults and neither of us would ever do anything relating to what you just accused us of being capable of.” 

 

Ali slides her arm around Ashlyn’s waist, stopping her from continuing her rant. She knows the type of person Joanne is and as much as it angers her, there’s no sense in arguing with her because when it comes to these kinds of things, there is no logic behind her thinking. “It’s okay, babe,” she whispers. “Let’s finish our walk. I could use a nap when we get home because my appointment was so early. What do you think?” 

 

“Yeah, that sounds perfect,” Ashlyn replies. She glares at Joanne one last time but no one says anything more as Ali and Ashlyn continue their walk. 

 

Ali can feel Joanne’s eyes on them as they walk down the street. Once they’re in front of the next house, Ali tugs on Ashlyn’s hand, stopping her in her tracks. “I love you,” she says, leaning in for a quick kiss. 

 

“God, she gets under my skin,” Ashlyn groans. 

 

“I know, babe, me too. But she doesn’t matter at all so let’s not worry about what she thinks. We’re having a nice day and we’re not going to let her ruin it.” 

 

Ashlyn takes a deep breath and looks towards where Joanne has gone back to watering her flowers. Ali can still see the annoyance on her girlfriend’s face and she knows that Ashlyn would like nothing more than to go give Joanne another piece of her mind. “You’re right,” Ashlyn finally relents. She starts walking again, making sure not to go too fast since Ali has a bit of a hard time keeping up in the boot. 

 

They walk in silence for a few minutes which worries Ali that Ashlyn is still fixated on the conversation with Joanne. “What’re you thinking?” 

 

“Well,” Ashlyn grins, “I’m thinking about what a nice day it is and about how great it’ll be one day to have a dog and take walks like this one. A quiet, peaceful walk with us and a dog.”

 

“Only if you clean up the poop,” Ali laughs. She’s starting to get tired so when they come to the next intersection, she turns around and leads Ashlyn back towards the house. Ashlyn’s response to her question was nothing like she expected and she too can’t help but grin at the thought. “A dog, huh?” 

 

“Yeah, you know, the whole get a dog as a trial run for a baby a few years later. Not right now but maybe soon.” 

 

“Ah, so you were picturing us walking with a dog and a baby,” Ali teases. 

 

“Maybe a little,” Ashlyn replies. “It’s just nice to daydream about. You pushing a stroller and me with the leash or me pushing the stroller and you with the dog. Or even one of those baby wearing things.”

 

“And you act like I’m going to be the annoying one when your cousin is here.” 

 

“I never said you’d be annoying I just said that you’ll be trouble with him. I fully stand by that statement; I know you have baby fever.”

 

“Says the one who just spent part of our walk imagining walking with our future child and dog,” Ali notes. 

 

“Fair enough,” Ashlyn laughs. “Like I said, it’s just nice to imagine. For almost our entire relationship, all we could do was worry about the district finding out and now that we’ve told them, we can finally start to move forward with our lives. Our thoughts no longer have to be consumed by fear and we can think and talk about the future more than we could before. Besides, just think about how pissed Joanne will be when we have a baby and walk by her house with a stroller.”

 

“A lesbian family in  _ my  _ neighborhood? Why, I’m going to call the owners’ association,” Ali says, imitating Joanne’s voice the best she can. “Oh my god, she might move.” 

 

“In that case, let’s get on it and find a donor tonight. Your period ended a few days ago, right? If we time things right, we could push her out of here by the time school starts. Push Joanne out, that is, not the baby. Those things generally take a little longer than two and a half months.” 

 

“Then you’re the one who has to explain to our child that we had them to spite a nasty neighbor,” Ali laughs. 

 

“Spite is the best motivator, isn’t it? The kid will understand when they’re old enough.” 

 

“You’re such a goof. I love you,” Ali says, stopping just long enough to kiss Ashlyn. 

 

They arrive back at the house and make their way up the sidewalk to her front door, which Ashlyn opens and allows Ali into the house first.

 

Once inside, both women settle themselves onto the couch. Ali very promptly takes off her walking boot and props her foot up on a throw pillow on the coffee table. After six weeks, it’s such a relief even just to sit there without a cast on that she almost feels like crying. 

 

“So do you think you’ll be able to do Disney with us this weekend? How did the walk feel?” 

 

Ali smiles as she curls up in Ashlyn’s arms. “It felt pretty good. I think the boot makes my gait a little funny but I can probably do Disney as long as we take a break every so often.”

 

“If all else fails, we can go back to the plan for me to give you a piggyback ride,” Ashlyn says. 

 

“You get me,” Ali grins, kissing Ashlyn’s cheek. 

 

~

 

As it turns out, Ali with a somewhat healed broken ankle has about the same stamina as Ashlyn’s two year old cousin so by the time Jenson completely checks out and takes a nap in his stroller, Ali is more than ready for a break too. 

 

“He’s so cute,” Ali coos, watching the young boy sleep in his stroller as they wait for their drinks inside one of the park restaurants. “God, his little Mickey sunglasses are too much.” 

 

“Yeah, he’s my best bud,” Ashlyn grins. “When are you two gonna let us babysit?” she asks, looking at her cousin and his wife. 

 

“Uh, whenever you want,” Corey laughs. “We could always use a night out.” 

 

Though Ali only met Corey and his family the previous evening when they arrived at her house, she already feels pretty comfortable with them, largely because Corey and Ashlyn are a lot alike. She’s opened her home to them for the weekend and has gotten to know them and has learned more about Ashlyn and her childhood. It’s the first time she’s met any of Ashlyn’s family and it makes their relationship feel all the more official. 

 

“So did I tell you that I’ve been teaching the little man surfing basics?” Corey asks. “I think he’s gonna be goofy footed.” 

 

“Just like Uncle Chris, huh?” Ashlyn says. “Wait, you didn’t push him in the back to see which foot he steps forward with, did you? That’s how Chris figured out I was regular footed. A little warning would’ve been nice, though, because he was not gentle and I fell on my face.” 

 

“No, I just noticed that when he does lose his balance, he puts his right foot in front.”

 

“Man, I gotta get back home soon so I can get out there with you. Maybe Ali and I will come by soon so she can meet everyone else.” 

 

“Yeah, you better. Gram has been bitching up a storm that she hasn’t met Ali yet. She’s started to refer to her as George Glass because she thinks you made her up.” 

 

“Wait, like the fake boyfriend on _The_ _Brady Bunch_?” Ali laughs. “Oh, Ash, you’re in trouble.” 

 

~

 

With the news that Ashlyn’s grandma is upset that she hasn’t met Ali yet, Ali and Ashlyn decide to pay the family a surprise visit the following weekend. The last time Ashlyn was home was while she and Ali were broken up and after all the wonderful things Ashlyn said about Ali before, her grandma gave her an earful for not trying to work things out with Ali. Ashlyn knew she was right but needed to come to the realization herself. Unfortunately, it took Ali injuring herself for Ashlyn to get over her lingering bitterness and actually talk to her. 

 

“Someone’s excited,” Ali comments as Ashlyn bounces on her toes while they wait for her grandparents to answer the door. 

 

“She’s gonna love you,” Ashlyn replies. She takes Ali’s hand and just as she does, her grandma opens the door. 

 

“Now who do we have here? It can’t be my granddaughter because she hardly ever visits.” 

 

“I know and I wanted to rectify that,” Ashlyn says. She drops Ali’s hand and pulls her grandmother into a massive hug. “I missed you.” 

 

“I missed you too, sweetie.” She leads the two younger women inside, insisting that they take a seat on the couch while she sits down on the recliner. “Now who is this lovely lady with you? Is this the imaginary girlfriend?” 

 

“Nope, not imaginary, but trust me, sometimes I can’t believe she’s real either,” Ashlyn cheeses as she grins at Ali. “Gram, this is Ali. Ali, this is Gram.” 

 

“Oh, you’re even more beautiful in person than in the pictures.” 

 

Ali blushes a little and smiles at the older woman. “Thank you,” she grins. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Ashlyn speaks very highly of you.” 

 

“Same to you, dear. She made you sound so wonderful and then never brought you around, I was beginning to think she made you up.”

 

“We’ll be better about visiting, I promise,” Ashlyn replies. It’s sometimes difficult in the school year when she spends all week working and then wants to relax with Ali on the weekend while they prepare for the week ahead. She knows that she needs to visit more and it’s something she plans on prioritizing this summer and in the next school year. 

 

“I’ll hold her to it, don’t worry,” Ali says. 

 

Just like Corey, the rest of Ashlyn’s family puts Ali at ease. After a bit of nerves in meeting her grandparents for the first time, Ali spends the rest of the weekend getting to know them better and spending time out in the water with everyone. They welcome her as one of their own and if Ali weren’t already imagining a future with Ashlyn, the time spent with Ashlyn’s family would do it. Ali knows about the struggles Ashlyn’s family has been through. She knows about tense and uncertain times during Ashlyn’s childhood in which it seemed like her grandparents were the only ones really looking out for her. It took a lot of time and effort but Ashlyn rebuilt those ties with her family and Ali knows how important it is to her girlfriend to have a healthy family when the time comes. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I can ask about the run-in with Joanne ;) (I thought it was in the last chapter and initially mentioned it in the chapter notes before a reader pointed it out haha). How would you have handled that situation with her? Unfortunately they are neighbors and co-workers so they couldn't really lay into her like they otherwise might have. Not gonna lie, I loved writing that scene especially their dialogue when they continued their walk. 
> 
> I might try to get the final chapter up on Wednesday but idk if you'd rather wait a while longer ;)


	15. reality

 

By the time mid-August arrives, Ali is more than ready to go back to school. The first order of business is for her and Heather to switch offices. At first, Heather suggests that they do it when teachers come in to ready their rooms but Ali insists on doing it a few days earlier. They’ll have some new teachers this year and Ali wants Heather to be settled in her new office when she greets them. Greeting the new (and returning) teachers is Heather’s first duty as principal and she deserves her office to reflect her position.

 

“Can we just be thankful that we don’t have to move the fridges and coffeemakers?” Ali asks as she packs stuff up in her office while Heather comes in to drop off a box of her stuff.

 

“Honestly, even if they weren’t school property, I think we’d both agree to just leave them with our old offices,” Heather replies. “Even trade, right?”

 

“You’re not wrong.” The first box of her belongings is almost full so she grabs the picture frames from the desk and carefully places them on top of everything else. She lifts the box off of the chair and carries it into her new (old) office. Other than the location, this office isn’t much different from the one she’s vacating. It has nearly the exact same layout and it’s only slightly smaller so, really, the only major difference is that the sign outside the door says Vice Principal with Ali’s name plate under it whereas Heather’s says Principal.

 

She places the photos on her desk and reaches for her purse on one of the guest chairs to get the new addition for her photo collection: a framed photo of her and Ashlyn. It’s a candid shot taken by Heather during Ali’s birthday celebration just as she was about to blow out her candles. As she made her wish, she looked over at Ashlyn, thinking only one word. Forever.

 

Ali remembers the moment so clearly. As she looked into Ashlyn’s eyes, there was really only one thing she could wish for. As she turned to blow out her candles, she repeated the word three times in a row, her personal tradition for good luck when making wishes. This photo captures the moment she locked eyes with Ashlyn and the love is clear on both of their faces. Ashlyn selected the same photo for her desk and it makes Ali smile knowing that they’ll have matching photos on their desk even though she knows it’s a little cheesy.

 

Though they’ll now be open with their relationship as far as their co-workers are concerned, they plan on going with the flow when it comes to students. They certainly won’t keep their relationship a secret from students and parents (hence the photos on their desks) but they will maintain more boundaries with them than with their co-workers. It’s something they’ve discussed at length and they decided that the photo on Ashlyn’s desk will speak for itself.  If anyone gets curious and asks if they’re together, she’ll be honest and say that they are but she won’t go into much more detail than that. The last thing they need during this probationary year is for conservative parents to complain to the district that they are flaunting their relationship to the students, especially when they’ll already have Joanne watching their every move.

 

In all, it takes just over an hour for Ali and Heather to switch offices. When everything is complete, Heather sits in her new desk chair while Ali sits across from her, looking around her office from a perspective she hasn’t had since she accepted the job as principal. It’s a little strange considering she spent the last three years on the other side of the desk but she couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out so she knows she’ll get used to it in no time.

 

“How does it feel to officially be principal?” Ali asks.

 

“It’s okay,” Heather replies. “Not sure I like knowing that it’s at your expense but at least you’re still here, right?”

 

“Don’t worry about it at all. Honestly, this is best case scenario, you know? I have my girl and we both still have jobs here at Oakwood. So don’t feel bad or awkward at all. I have so much faith in you and I know you’ll make an excellent principal.”

 

“Thanks, Al,” Heather grins. “Speaking of your girl, what’s Ash up to today?”

 

“She’s having lunch with her friend Jess and then has to stop by her place to get some stuff.”

 

“Is she moving in with you?”

 

“Not officially, no,” Ali replies. “But, I mean, in the last four months she’s only spent three nights at her place so she’s going to get more clothes.”

 

“Have you talked about her officially moving in?”

 

Ali nods. “We spoke about it last week, actually. We decided that this arrangement is working perfectly and there’s no need to rush, you know? It’ll be nice when she does move in because she won’t be paying rent and utilities for an apartment she doesn’t really use but for now we’re gonna keep doing what we’re doing.”

 

“Understandable,” Heather says. “Oh, did I tell you about all the weird rumors about you guys?”

 

Ali shakes her head and looks at her friend in confusion.

 

“Okay, so remember how I emailed everyone last week to say that I’ve taken the principal position and that you would be staying on as vice principal? I didn’t even mention anything about you and Ash because it’s obviously not my place to say anything but quite a few people responded to verify things that they heard about you guys. Shelby said that she heard that you two were caught having sex in your office and that’s how the district found out and Pete said he heard that you were both fired. Oh, and the best one was that Miranda heard that Ashlyn slept with her old principal and that’s why she left and came here and then started dating you.”

 

“Oh my god,” Ali laughs, rolling her eyes. “I know we work at a high school but that’s so high school.” She’s not surprised that there are rumors out there because it’s a big school with a lot of staff and they’re definitely closer to some than others so they only told a select few the full story. What is surprising, though, is how ridiculous these rumors are. It’s clear they’ll have to do some damage control. “Guess we’ll have to answer a lot of questions at the party this weekend, huh? What did you tell them?”

 

“I said that what they heard isn’t true and that you’ll both be at Oakwood this year but that it’s not my place to tell the full story. So, yeah, I’m sure you’ll have a lot of curious questions on Saturday.”

 

“Thanks for the heads up,” Ali laughs.

 

When she arrives home a while later after stopping at the grocery store to get something to make for dinner, Ashlyn is in the bedroom hanging the clothes she brought over. Ali quickly puts the groceries away and stands in the doorway to the bedroom, watching her girlfriend for a moment before Ashlyn finally realizes she’s there.

 

“Hey, beautiful,” Ashlyn greets with a smile. “Did you get settled into your new digs?”

 

“New old digs,” Ali replies. “And, yeah, I’m all ready to start the year.” She settles onto her--their--bed and watches as Ashlyn continues putting her clothes away. “How’s Jess?”

 

“She’s great,” Ashlyn says. She pauses what she’s doing for a moment to give Ali a kiss. “Hi.”

 

“Hi,” Ali grins. “I got stuff to make steak tacos for dinner.”

 

“Sounds perfect.” Though she still has more clothes to put away, Ashlyn lowers herself down onto the bed next to Ali and puts her head in her girlfriend’s lap. “Tara almost dropped dead in shock when I walked in today,” she laughs. “I think I scared her because I’m never there anymore and I didn’t tell her I was stopping by. She must have thought someone was breaking in or something. I’m actually surprised she hasn’t subleased my room yet.”

 

“Don’t give her any ideas because that would be pretty ingenious of her to keep collecting rent  from you and from someone actually living in your room.” She gently runs her hands through Ashlyn’s hair, lightly scratching her scalp just the way Ashlyn likes. Ashlyn leans into her touch just the slightest and Ali smiles at how content and relaxed her girlfriend is. “I hope you’re ready to field a lot of questions at Heather’s this weekend.”

 

“Oh, god, I know,” Ashlyn replies.

 

“While we were switching offices, she told me about some of the rumors she’s heard. I have no idea where they started but they couldn’t be more inaccurate. They were all pretty ridiculous but the best one was that someone heard that you slept with the principal at your old school and that’s why you came here. ”

 

“Damn, I can’t believe they found out about that,” Ashlyn quips. “I was doing so well keeping that a secret.”

 

“Oh so that’s the woman you broke up with right before you moved here?” Ali asks, playing along.

 

“Yeah, I date every single one of my bosses. I can’t believe you didn’t know that.”

 

“Hold on a sec, let me warn HAO that you’re gonna come on to her,” Ali says, playfully reaching for her phone.

 

“Oh, yeah, she’s next on my list,” Ashlyn laughs. “So I guess we have some things to clear up this weekend.”

 

“Honestly, I think they’re all going to be disappointed. I mean, the stories they came up with are much more interesting than what actually happened. We’re kind of boring. Like, this is what we do when we’re not at school,” Ali says, gesturing to their position curled up in bed with Ashlyn’s head on her lap. They certainly have their fun but being in their 30s (or just a few months shy in Ashlyn’s case), their idea of fun is often a quiet night in or heading over to Heather and Dave’s to go out on their boat. They’re far less interesting than the rumors being spread about them.

 

“We’re gonna put them to sleep with the actual story,” Ashlyn laughs. “The most scandalous thing we do is dare to walk by Joanne’s house holding hands.”

 

“You sure about that?” Ali smirks. “Because we do have quite a few sex toys in the bottom drawer on your nightstand.”

 

“Oh, and like we’re gonna tell all our coworkers how much you love it when I use the little g-spot vibrator on you,” Ashlyn teases.

 

“I’m sure everyone would love to hear that in explicit detail,” Ali laughs. “I’m sure they would also want to know how much you love using it on me.”

 

“Yeah, or maybe we could even give a little demonstration.”

 

Ali pretends to consider this proposition. “Hm, maybe we should practice a little first,” she suggests. In an instant, Ashlyn is sitting bolt upright and sporting a massive grin, eliciting a giggle from Ali. Ashlyn rests her hands on Ali’s thighs and leans in for a deep, hungry kiss.

 

By the time they’re done, it’s already an hour later than they usually like to eat dinner. Both women tend to get a little snippy when they’re this hungry but this time, they’re too blissed out to care and they prepare dinner together with well practiced ease. Ali cooks and seasons the meat at the stove while Ashlyn cuts up lettuce, tomato, and avocado for their toppings, as well as getting the cheese ready.

 

This week has been all about preparing for back to school so they can enjoy next week, their final week of summer vacation, without worrying if they have everything ready for the year. As they discuss their preparations over dinner, they realize that the only thing left is for Ashlyn to go to the school with everyone else on Thursday to get her classroom ready.  

 

They’ve had a great, relaxing summer together that did wonders for them as individuals and for their relationship. With their relationship on a more solid foundation after their temporary breakup, they spent the summer getting to know one another on deeper levels and met each other’s families. They are building towards a shared future and Ali can’t wait to see what this year has in store for them.

 

~

 

Just as Heather always arrived early to help Ali finish pre-party tasks, she and Ashlyn show up at Heather’s early to help her finish getting ready. When they arrive, Dave is busy prepping the grill while Heather puts drinks in the coolers. Without being asked, Ali grabs a bag of ice off of the deck and carries it to one of the coolers while Ashlyn follows her lead and takes a bag to another cooler.

 

“Looking good, HAO,” Ali compliments once they finish their task. Other than the burgers and hotdogs, all the food is ready to go and there’s music playing softly though a bluetooth speaker.

 

“Yeah, I’m happy with the way everything turned out,” Heather replies. “The boat is all ready to go too so I’m sure we’ll all be taking turns going out. Dave has volunteered to be the DD for it.”

 

As soon as other guests start arriving, Ali and Ashlyn get some curious looks but they do their best to ignore it until finally a few of the teachers they don’t know very well come up to them and ask about their summer. Considering Ali knows that Shelby and Miranda both asked Heather about the rumors, she knows what they’re really asking.

 

“We haven’t done much, really,” Ali says. “We spent some time in Ashlyn’s hometown a little over an hour away and we visited my family in DC. What we you guys up to?”

 

Both Shelby and Miranda offer quick, generic answers about relaxing (Shelby with her husband and kids and Miranda with friends) before turning the conversation back to Ali and Ashlyn. “So you two are together, then? How did that happen?” Shelby asks, deciding to be a little more direct this time.

 

“Nothing crazy,” Ashlyn shrugs. She shifts to rest her hand on Ali’s lower back while taking a sip of her beer. “We just got close last year and fell for each other.”

 

“And you’ll both be at Oakwood this year?” Miranda asks.

 

“Yes,” Ali replies. “Heather and I basically switched jobs so we can avoid a possible conflict of interests with Ashlyn’s and my relationship. It’s a win-win because we both get to stay and we have a wonderful, competent principal to take my place.”

 

Sure enough, reality isn’t nearly as interesting as the rumors they heard so Shelby and Miranda soon excuse themselves to go get more food, leaving Ali and Ashlyn the opportunity to go back to their friends.

 

“Did you get the third degree?” Heather asks.

 

“Not really. They were pretty bored when they realized that Ashlyn isn’t notorious for dating her bosses and that there wasn’t a scandal or anything.”

 

Heather nods her understanding and turns to Kelley and Whitney who are speaking with someone Ali doesn’t recognize. When there’s a break in conversation, Heather introduces Ali and Ashlyn to Crystal, the school’s new econ and geography teacher. By the way Crystal has everyone laughing already, Ali knows that Crystal will fit in seamlessly with their tight-knit group.

 

They catch up with their friends and get to know Crystal for a bit while Dave gets the boat ready and takes the first few groups out onto the water. By the time the sun begins to set, almost everyone has gone home and only their core group of friends and Crystal remain. There isn’t enough room on the boat for everyone to go on the sunset ride so Ali and Ashlyn volunteer to stay on the shore together and wait for the next trip. They sit next to one another on the dock and dangle their legs in the water.

 

“Can you believe that exactly a year ago I was already falling for you?” Ashlyn asks. “God, I was so nervous to see you that day that I changed my outfit about ten times. You looked beautiful, of course, and I definitely had to avert my eyes when you took off your dress with your bikini underneath. And now here we are a year later,” she says, resting her head on Ali’s shoulder.

 

Ali grins, thinking back to last year’s end of summer party, about all the changes and challenges the last year has brought. A year ago, she wouldn’t even let herself entertain the idea of dating Ashlyn and now, just a year later, they’ve been together for eight months (six if you don’t count their breakup but Ali prefers to forget about those months spent apart) and she couldn’t be happier. “It’s strange,” she begins, “it feels like no time has passed at all and yet it feels like it’s been so much longer than just a year. It feels like you’ve been in my life forever.”

 

“Sap,” Ashlyn teases. She pulls Ali closer and presses a kiss to her temple, smiling as Ali’s eyes flutter closed at the contact. “I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that a year ago I thought you were my super hot boss but that you were off limits and now you’re my girlfriend and I’m madly in love with you.”

 

“Still super hot though, right?”

 

“Of course,” Ashlyn laughs. “But it’s more than that now. I didn’t really know you then and now that I do, I know that you’re just as beautiful on the inside. It’s what made it so difficult for me to hide my feelings for you because it’s so much deeper than just physical attraction.”

 

“And you called me a sap?” Ali jokes, playfully elbowing Ashlyn’s side.

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “I’m not denying it and I’m never gonna stop.”

 

“Wouldn’t want you to; I love knowing what you’re thinking.” Ali replies, punctuating her words with a kiss. “It makes me wonder what changes this next year will bring, you know?” She looks out at the water as Ashlyn ponders her question. It’s a perfect late summer night and she can hear their friends laughing out on the boat as Sydney once again fails to stand up on the wakeboard.

 

Before Ashlyn, Ali was perfectly content with her life. She had her dream job and a beautiful home that she hoped to start a family in one day, though she didn’t know when or with whom. Now she has Ashlyn and the vision for her future has become that much clearer.

 

“Well, I think we can assume that I’ll move in with you at some point,” Ashlyn replies.

 

Ali nods and grins over at her girlfriend. “Sooner rather than later, I think. Maybe in a few years we’ll have to find a babysitter for these things or bring our kids with us.”

 

“It’s gonna be so nice to have summers off with our kids. I mean, it’s nice now but it’ll be cool to spend time with them and go on some family vacations.”

 

“I can’t wait,” Ali grins. “But for now I kind of enjoy it being just us, you know? We’re in a really good place and I’m savoring every moment.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Ali kisses Ashlyn one more time and they go quiet as they watch the sunset together. In a little over a week, school will resume and these peaceful summer moments will give way to work schedules and weekends spend grading homework (for Ashlyn, at least) but Ali wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. She wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last official chapter but don't worry, there's still more in this universe. I have two follow-ups done and have a few more ideas that I hope to type up soon. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	16. birthday

 

By the time Ashlyn’s birthday rolls around in mid October, Ali realizes that Ashlyn hasn’t even set foot in her apartment in nearly two months. Almost all of her stuff is already at the house so Ali decides that it’s finally time to ask Ashlyn to officially move in with her. It’s not much of a birthday present, though, so Ali is in the market for something special when Kelley and Alex invite her to look at rescue dogs. They plan on fostering a dog so they invite Ali along for brunch before they go to the shelter. 

 

In the end, Kelley and Alex fall hard for a loveable oaf named Brooklyn but it’s another dog that catches Ali’s eye. 

 

According to the information on the cage, Bear is a one year old french bulldog and pug mix whose previous owner recently moved into a retirement home and couldn’t take him with her. 

 

“Hi, Bear,” Ali coos, using her pointer finger to scratch the friendly dog’s head through the cage. “You are too cute.” 

 

“You want to see him?” a volunteer asks, coming up next to Ali. 

 

“Sure,” Ali replies. She watches as the volunteer opens up the cage and takes the small dog into her arms. “He’s adorable,” she says, petting the dog in the woman’s arms. 

 

Christen (based on her name tag) nods her agreement. “He’s only been with us for a few days and I don’t expect he’ll be around too long. Both of his breeds are pretty popular and he’s still pretty young so I’m sure someone will scoop him up pretty quickly. Are you interested?”

 

Ali shrugs as she considers Christen’s question. She certainly didn’t come with Kelley and Alex expecting to find a dog for herself but she and Ashlyn have spoken a lot about getting a dog one day, particularly a french bulldog, and Bear could be perfect for them. If she asks Ashlyn to move in with her, there’s no reason why they couldn’t have a dog and she would love to see the look on Ashlyn’s face if she gives her Bear for her birthday. “You said you don’t think he’ll be here for long?” 

 

“A week at most, I’d say,” Christen replies. “But likely even less than that.” 

 

Ali nods. “May I?” she asks, reaching to take the dog for Christen’s arms. Christine passes Bear to Ali and he starts kissing Ali’s face almost immediately. 

 

“As you can see, he’s very friendly,” Christen notes. 

 

“Yes, he is,” Ali coos, using her free hand to scratch the dog’s ears. “Hi, buddy, I think Ashlyn would love you. Should I take you home to her?” She pets Bear a little more and looks up at Christen. “My girlfriend’s birthday is in a few days and I’m kind of thinking that he might be the perfect present,” she explains. “If I apply to adopt him would I get to take him home by the 19th?” 

 

“Yeah, of course. As long as you’re approved, you could even take him home today.” 

 

Ali raises her eyebrows in surprise. “Today? Wow.” 

 

Christen nods. “Since he’s already neutered, we could process your application today and send you both on your way. A few days before her birthday would certainly be a surprise for your girlfriend.”  

 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Ali laughs. By now, Kelley and Alex have finished the process to foster Brooklyn so they come over to where Ali and Christen are talking in front of the cages. When Bear sees Brooklyn on his leash, he tries to wiggle himself out of Ali’s arms to play with the larger dog so Ali gently sets him on the floor and watches as the dogs sniff one another. 

 

“Who’s this cutie?” Alex asks, reaching down to scratch Bear’s ears. 

 

“His name is Bear,” Ali replies. “Would it be crazy for me to get him for Ashlyn’s birthday? We’ve talked a lot about getting a dog and he won’t be here for very long.”

 

“Ash will lose her mind,” Kelley says. “I mean, look at how cute he is and his name is Bear. How could it get better than that?” 

 

Ali shrugs and crouches down to pet the dog again, smiling as he leans into her touch as she scratches his ear. “Oh, you like that, don’t you?” she coos. She pets him for a few more seconds and when she stands up, she meets Christen’s eyes. “I think I want to take him but I have a few questions.” 

 

“Sure,” Christen grins. 

 

“Since he’s a year old I’m assuming he’s house broken?” Christen nods her head so Ali continues, “Do you know how he is being left alone or even boarded with other dogs? Ashlyn and I both work at a high school so we can’t be home with him all day. If need be, one of us could stop at home during our lunch period everyday or we could even take him to doggy daycare.” 

 

“That I don’t know,” Christen answers. “Since his previous owner was an older woman, I’m not sure how often he was left alone for long periods. But as you can see, he gets along with other dogs pretty well so if you find that he can’t be left alone, I’m sure he would be fine at daycare.” 

 

“Do you know how he is with kids? We don’t have any yet but it’s definitely in the five year plan.”

 

“As far as we know, he was great with the previous owner’s grandkids. Her son and his family were initially supposed to take him but their other dogs didn’t get along with him so they unfortunately had to bring him to us.” 

 

Ali nods as she considers everything she’s been told. Though he’s not a purebred frenchie like the ones Ashlyn always shows her pictures of, he still looks more like a frenchie than a pug and he’s a rescue dog so it’s a win-win. Her only reservation is that a dog is a big commitment and she doesn’t want to assume that Ashlyn is ready for such a commitment. “What should I do?” she asks, turning to Kelley and Alex. 

 

“I think you should get him,” Alex replies. “I mean, he obviously likes Brooklyn so they can be friends with Serv’s dog and Syd and Dom’s dogs.”

 

“Isn’t it generally a bad idea to get someone a pet as a gift, though? It’s a big commitment.” 

 

“Generally, yes, but this is Ashlyn we’re talking about. She wants a dog and you told me before that you’ve talked about getting one pretty soon so why not now?” Kelley reasons. She bends down to pick Bear up off of the floor and holds him by Ali’s face. “Could you really walk away from this face?”

 

“Okay, fine, you’re too cute to resist,” she says, petting his head. 

 

“Thanks, I know,” Kelley deadpans. 

 

Ali just shakes her head in response and turns to Christen, a smile on her face. “How do I apply?” 

 

“Follow me.” 

 

Ali, Kelley, Alex, and the dogs follow Christen to the front desk. The paperwork is fairly quick and easy and since it’s a slow day, Christen passes it off to someone else to look at immediately for a quick decision, rather than finding time to process it later in the day. In fact, she’s only been gone five minutes when she returns with a big smile on her face and a leash in hand. 

 

“I just have to enter this into the computer really quick and then you’ll be all set to take Bear home. How do you want to pay today?”

 

“On my card,” Ali replies. She stands up from where she was sitting with Bear in her lap and carries him over to the desk. “We have to go get you some stuff, huh, bud? Good thing there’s a pet store right next to this place.”

 

“Pretty convenient, right?” Christen asks. 

 

Once Christen processes Ali’s card through the computer for the adoption fee, she hands Ali the leash which Ali secures around Bear’s neck. It’s just a temporary leash without a collar so Ali makes a mental note that she should find a collar and better leash as soon as they get next door. “Thank you so much for your help,” Ali says to Christen. 

 

“Anytime. Enjoy your new pup,” Christen replies. 

 

Ali holds onto Bear’s leash as they make their way out of the shelter and walk down the sidewalk to the pet supply store. Kelley and Alex were a little more prepared to get a dog from the shelter so Brooklyn already has a leash and collar but there are still some things they need to pick up, especially since they didn’t know exactly what dog they would get and some things are contingent on age and size. 

 

“Oh, I should get Ashlyn out of the house for a bit,” Ali decides as they shop. It’s a few days before Ashlyn’s birthday so there’s no way she could hide Bear from her until her birthday but she does want to get all his things situated at home before Ashlyn meets him. She has an adorable image in her mind of Ashlyn returning home and Bear running to greet her at the door. She just has to make sure Ashlyn isn’t home when they get back. 

 

They were supposed to make a Trader Joe’s run after she got home so she decides that sending Ashlyn on her own will be the perfect way to get her out of the house for a while. Her plan in mind, she pauses in an aisle and calls Ashlyn’s phone. It’s the perfect cover and Ashlyn falls for it easily. By the time they hang up, Ali nearly has everything they’ll need for Bear and rushes to the cash register so she can beat Ashlyn home and get everything ready. Luckily, she drove separate from Kelley and Alex so they say goodbye in the parking lot and go their separate ways. 

 

Though she’s a little short on time, Ali makes a quick stop to get happy birthday balloons on the way home, figuring that she’ll make it a little more festive for her girlfriend. 

 

“Welcome home, Bear,” Ali coos when they pull into the driveway. She takes the dog and the balloons first, only pausing so Bear can go to the bathroom before they go inside. She leaves the dog inside and goes back out to the car to get the bag of toys and his water and food bowls as well as his bed and food. 

 

First, she fits him with his now collar and attaches one of the dog tags she had made before taking his bowls and mat into the kitchen, filling them with food and water and setting them on the ground next to the sliding glass door. After that, there’s not much more to do than wait so she takes the tags off of some of Bear’s new toys and calls him out to the living room to play. She quickly learns that he loves to play tug of war with the sock so that’s what they’re doing when she hears Ashlyn pull into the driveway. 

 

“Mama’s home,” Ali exclaims, smiling as Bear wags his tail at her excited voice. She knows Ashlyn will likely come in through the garage door so she points down the hall to the garage door. “Go get her,” she says. 

 

As the door opens, Bear runs towards the source of the noise while Ali stays seated in the living room and starts casually scrolling through her phone. Ali can’t see Ashlyn but when she hears her exclaim “what the hell?” followed by an excited bark from Bear, she breaks into a big smile which she tries to control to maintain her aloofness. 

 

“There’s a dog in here,” Ashlyn says, setting the grocery bags down in the kitchen on her way to the living room. She’s so distracted by the dog that she doesn’t notice the birthday balloons scattered throughout the room. 

 

“I know,” Ali laughs, standing to greet Ashlyn. “I found him earlier,” she says, intentionally omitting where she found him. “Will you check his tags, please?” 

 

“Sure.” Ashlyn bends down to pick up the small dog. When he’s secure in her arms and she’s standing up once again, she uses one hand to spin his collar around to look for the tag. “Bear Krieger Harris,” she reads. “Wait, what?” 

 

Ali grins at her girlfriend’s confusion. “Read the other side of his tag.”

 

Ashlyn flips the metal tag over in her hand and reads the engraving on the back aloud, “Happy birthday. Will you move in with us?” The print is tiny to fit on the small tag but the message is loud and clear. “He’s ours?” she exclaims. “This is our dog?” 

 

Ali bites back a grin and reaches out to her side to grab one of the balloon ribbons, pulling it down from the ceiling and showing Ashlyn. “Happy birthday, baby.”

 

Ashlyn is quiet for a moment and Ali watches as she processes the last few minutes. She scratches Bear’s ears, looking bewildered yet excited. “We have a dog? How did this happen? Is this why you went to the shelter today?” 

 

“No, no,” Ali replies. “Kelley and Alex did actually start fostering a dog so that was all true. I was waiting for them to finish their paperwork and looking in the cages when I saw Bear and of course I had to pet him through the cage because he was so cute and then a volunteer came over and offered to bring him out for me and I was a goner. He’s a year old so he’s house trained and everything. His previous owner moved into a nursing home and couldn’t take him. He probably wasn’t gonna be there for very long before someone adopted him so I had to make a decision right then. Is it okay?” 

 

“Al, it’s more than okay it’s…” Ashlyn trails off as Bear starts licking her face, making her laugh. “We have a dog,” she finishes. 

 

“We do,” Ali grins. “And he wants you to officially move in with us even though you already live here. No more rent on an apartment you never use.” 

 

Ashlyn raises an eyebrow and sets the dog down to pull Ali into a hug. “Oh, he said all of that?” 

 

“Yep. He said it makes sense and that you haven’t even seen your apartment in months so it’s time to officially move in here.” 

 

“Smart dog.” 

 

“The smartest,” Ali grins. “I have a different tag with our phone numbers on the back instead of that one but I couldn’t resist using him to ask you. Sorry you got your present a bit early, there wasn’t really a way to hide a dog from you for a few days.”

 

“I love him and I love you,” Ashlyn says, grinning as she kisses Ali’s forehead. 

 

Ali loops her arms around Ashlyn’s waist and looks up into her girlfriend’s eyes. “So how much stuff do you still have at your apartment? How about you text Tara that we’ll come get the rest of it tomorrow and that she can start looking for someone else to take your room?” 

 

“I hardly have anything left there, honestly. It was already furnished so I really just have my comforter, a few clothes and shoes I never wear, and the stuff on my walls left there.”

 

Ali grins and leads Ashlyn to the couch. Bear promptly jumps up next to them and climbs onto Ashlyn’s lap, wagging his tail. At first, Ali thought that he would need a little time to warm up to having new owners and a new environment but if he’s nervous, he certainly isn’t showing it. 

 

“I can’t believe we’re dog moms now,” Ashlyn says as she pets Bear. “And I live here. God, it makes everything so official. Like, we’re doing this we’re building a future together.”

 

“Wild, huh?” Ali says. “We have the cutest little dog son,” she adds, reaching over to scratch his head too. 

 

“Kyle is going to get a kick out of his name.”

 

“Oh, I know,” Ali laughs. “But it’s too damn cute and I didn’t want to confuse him by changing it. He’s our little Bear. Actually, let’s send Kyle a picture now.”

 

Ali reaches to grab her phone off of the coffee table in front of them. When she sits back, Ashlyn takes Bear into her arms and holds him between the two of them, positioning him as Ali gets her selfie camera on. Both Ali and Ashlyn smile and face the camera and Ali snaps a few photos, not stopping until she finally catches Bear looking right at the camera. “Our first family photo,” Ali smiles, showing Ashlyn the best shot as Bear jumps down and curls up on the rug underneath their feet. 

 

_ Meet your nephew, Bear.  _ Ali writes, selecting the best photo to send to Kyle. Before she even puts her phone back down on the table, Kyle calls her on facetime so she accepts the call and leans into Ashlyn’s side so he can see both of them. 

 

“Are you serious?” Kyle asks. “You got a dog and didn’t tell me?” 

 

“We just got him today,” Ali says. She explains that she went to the shelter with Kelley and Alex and just happened to fall for Bear and that she surprised Ashlyn with him as an early birthday present. 

 

“Let me see this nugget,” Kyle demands. 

 

“He’s the cutest,” Ashlyn says. 

 

Ali smiles as she switches to the other camera, holding her phone so Kyle can see Bear sleeping on the rug. Because of his breeds, he’s a fairly small dog and he looks even smaller when he’s curled up the way he is which kind of makes Ali’s heart melt. 

 

“He is the cutest,” Kyle agrees. “But has his previous owner ever seen a bear? That is not a bear.” 

 

“The animal kind or the human kind?” Ashlyn laughs. 

 

“Apparently they’ve never seen either but it’s okay because he’s the cutest dog nephew ever.” 

 

“You’ll have to bring cousin Luna for a visit,” Ali says. “Maybe you two should come for Thanksgiving.” 

 

Kyle loves the idea, of course, because it’s much, much better than his tentative plan to spend the holiday with their conservative family in DC so they hash out some of the details while Ali keeps the camera focused on Bear. When they say goodbye, Kyle makes Ali put the selfie camera back on and pick Bear up. Not so he can say goodbye to her and Ashlyn but so Bear can see him when he says goodbye. 

 

When they retire to bed that night after a quick walk around the neighborhood, Bear curls up right by their feet in bed instead of using the dog bed Ali bought for him. 

 

“Spoiled already,” Ashlyn smiles, looking down the bed at Bear. 

 

Ali curls up into Ashlyn’s side and presses a gentle kiss to Ashlyn’s exposed collarbone. “So you like your present?” 

 

“Best gift ever. And I’m so, so happy that you asked me to officially move in. I can’t believe this is our home.” 

 

“Yours and mine, baby, yours and mine,” Ali says, punctuating her words with a kiss. 

 

“We should probably split bills now, huh?” 

 

“Probably,” Ali agrees. “But let’s not worry about that now, okay? Hey, do you think we should redecorate or something?” 

 

“Why would we do that?” Ashlyn questions. 

 

“So if feels more like our home, I guess. We don’t have to but if there are any changes you want to make we can make them.” 

 

Ashlyn looks around the room at the minimal decorations and photos along the walls and on the dresser, as if she doesn’t already know every inch of this house. “There’s really nothing I would change,” she says. “I have a few knick knacks at my apartment that I’ll wants to put somewhere but other than that, I’m good. Even when we weren’t together and I slept in the guest room, this place always kind of felt like home because you were here.”

 

“Well aren’t you sweet,” Ali smiles, nuzzling into her girlfriend’s neck. 

 

With their dog curled at their feet and the promise that Ashlyn will officially move in, Ali is so blissfully happy and content that she doesn’t even want to fall asleep. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of the epilogues for this story :)


	17. loved

 

After Ashlyn’s fourth year at Oakwood, Ali and Ashlyn have a decision to make.

 

Now together for four and a half years, they know what they want their future to look like. They both want marriage and kids, that much is a given, but when it comes down to it, one is much more important than the other.

 

They’ve danced around the topic for years now, always speaking in hypotheticals and looking towards the future. With four and a half years behind them and Ali’s 34th birthday quickly approaching, it’s time to get serious. Once school gets out in June, Ali becomes fixated on these all important topics.

 

She wants it more than anything.

 

She wants to be a mother more than anything in the world. It’ll be challenging, she knows, but it’ll be so, so worth it. She wants baby snuggles and the pride and excitement watching them grow and discover the world. She wants quiet, tender moments with her little family. She has her girl and their dog and a house with room to grow. The only thing that’s missing is a baby.

 

The week after school gets out, there’s a concert downtown that Syd has been talking about for months and when their sitter for two year old Cassius cancels at the last minute, Ali is quick to jump in and offer to take the toddler for the night. She doesn’t even have time to run the idea by Ashlyn before Syd and Dom are on the doorstep with Cassius and everything he’ll need for an overnight stay with his favorite aunts. When Ashlyn returns home from getting her hair cut, Ali is playing with Cash in the living room, a children’s show on the TV in the background.

 

“Oh, sweet, I didn’t know we’re babysitting,” Ashlyn says. She sits down on the floor next to Cash and the fire truck he and Ali are playing with.

 

“Syd’s babysitter cancelled this morning she was p-i-s-s-e-d because they had that concert tonight so I offered our services.” While she speaks, she holds the wind-up fire truck in her hands which frustrates Cassius that she’s not only not paying attention to him but also holding the fire truck hostage.

 

“Go, go,” Cash calls, waving his hands at the toy truck.

 

“Sorry, buddy,” Ali grins. She sets the truck back down on the ground and spreads her legs, pulling the truck backwards and releasing it so it speeds towards Cash’s waiting hands. They’ve been playing this particular game for a while so it comes as no surprise that after a few more times back and forth, he grows bored with the whole thing and runs off to play with something else. With Cash occupied, Ali and Ashlyn move to sit on the couch, keeping a watchful eye on him.

 

“Your hair looks nice,” Ali compliments, lightly running her fingers through the freshly shaved hairs at the back of Ashlyn’s head.

 

“Gotta keep it looking good for you, right?” Ashlyn grins.

 

“I love you no matter what your hair looks like.”

 

Ali has already spent over an hour watching Cassius and the only thing she can think is how badly she wants to be a mom and that she doesn’t want to wait anymore. The timing feels right and she knows they’re ready.

 

It weighs on her mind as they enjoy their time with Cassius but she doesn’t bring it up. At least, she doesn’t bring it up until after they’ve given him a bath and he’s wrapped in a towel in Ashlyn’s arms. He’s getting sleepy now and although he was splashing in the bath just minutes ago, he’s half asleep by the time Ashlyn carried him into the bedroom to put his diaper and pajamas on.

 

Ali stands back and quietly watches her girlfriend work. She watches how Ashlyn oh so gently lays Cassius in their bed, how she bends at the waist with him in her arms so she can keep him close to her chest until the last possible second. Ashlyn then very quickly puts a nighttime diaper on him and reaches to her right for his super hero footie pajamas. When he’s zipped up, Ashlyn once again takes him into her arms and grins as he immediately falls asleep against her chest.

 

Suddenly, it’s too much for Ali to handle.

 

“Hey, Ash,” she begins.

 

Ashlyn turns to face Ali, a small, content smile on her lips. “Yeah?”

 

“I want this.”

 

Though Ali didn’t explain too much, Ashlyn knows. She knows exactly what her girlfriend is thinking, is feeling because she’s feeling it too. “I know. Me too. We’ll have one soon enough, right?”

 

Ali shakes her head. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”

 

“Oh, you don’t want to get married first?” It’s not that Ashlyn feels that they need to be married to have a baby together but when it’s come up before, they always spoke of doing it in the more traditional order so this is a surprise to her.

 

“We could get married first, I guess, but even if we start planning now, we’re probably not going to get married until next summer and then we wouldn’t have a baby for about another year if we start right away. Is it important to you to be married first?”

 

“No, not really,” Ashlyn says. She carefully lowers herself down onto the bed, holding Cassius on her lap while Ali sits next to them. “We can have a baby first. We can have a baby whenever you’re ready.”

 

Ali’s eyes light up at Ashlyn’s words. “Really? I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t want to and please don’t think that I suggested doing it first because I don’t want to get married or anything because I do still really want that. I just want a baby,” she rambles.

 

Ashlyn uses on hand to cup Ali’s cheek, holding Cash with the other. “Al, I want to have a baby with you. I’m ready whenever you are. But if we’re gonna go for it, we should try while we’re on break so they baby will come early next summer. That way I won’t have to take time off and you would only need to take the last few weeks off, if that.”

 

Ali isn’t sure how she expected this conversation to go but she certainly didn’t imagine it going like this. She thought that Ashlyn might suggest that they take a little time to think about things, to consider it a little more before they make their decision. Or maybe that it would be important to her to get married first. But here they are, discussing the potential logistics.

 

When Ali doesn’t respond, Ashlyn playfully waves her hand in front of her face. “Hello, you alive in there?”

 

“Yeah, sorry, I just can’t believe you’re so on board with this, especially considering we’d have to start really, really soon.”

 

Ashlyn takes Ali’s hand in her own, stroking gently with her thumb. “Babe, I want to be a mom just as much as you do. And you know what? I can’t wait to see you as a mom because I know you’re going to be amazing. It kills me even seeing you with Cash.”

 

“Ash, he’s literally sleeping on your chest right now it kills me too.” Ali snuggles closer, draping an arm over the pair. “Are we really gonna do this?” she asks quietly.

 

“Yeah, we are,” Ashlyn says. She presses a gentle kiss to the top of Ali’s head as they watch Cassius sleep together, both lost in thought that they might soon be cuddling with their own child.

 

~

 

As easy as the decision to start a family came, deciding how is much more of a task. They briefly consider reciprocal IVF with Ali carrying Ashlyn’s biological child but ultimately, they can’t really justify the astronomical costs when they will both love their kids no matter their involvement in the physical process. In the end, they would rather use a less expensive fertility option and save money for college funds. Selecting their donor also proves to be a bit of a challenge but after hours upon hours of searching various sites and weighing pros and cons of different traits, they finally find one that seems perfect for them, a good combination of intelligent, athletic, and attractive.

 

It just so happens that Ali’s peak fertility window comes the day before school starts which feels a little bit like a sign. Each school year represents a new beginning for the couple both personally and professionally and there’s no better way to mark the fresh start than by (potentially) creating a new life. Better yet, it’s been five years to the day since their first coffee date in Ali’s office. Though they’re nervous, it feels like everything is lining up perfectly.

 

Even when it comes time to take the pregnancy test, both women are relaxed and cracking jokes with one another and it comes as no surprise when the results are positive.

 

“This is really happening,” Ashlyn grins. “We’re gonna be moms.”

 

Ali kisses Ashlyn deeply, looping her arms around Ashlyn’s neck. “I’m so excited,” she breathes when they pull apart. She looks into Ashlyn’s eyes, trying to cement everything about this moment to memory. She’s so focused on remembering everything that she doesn’t even realize that she’s crying a little until Ashlyn uses her thumbs to wipe them away.

 

“Baby, don’t cry,” Ashlyn says gently as she wipes Ali’s tears away. “You’re going to make me cry.” It’s no use, though, and almost as soon as the words are out of her mouth, there are tears forming in her eyes as well. She wraps Ali tightly in her arms and buries her face against Ali’s neck, losing herself to her emotions.

 

This is something they’ve dreamed about for years and now that it’s finally happening, neither can control their emotions. It’s been their biggest dream, their biggest hope for almost as long as they’ve been together and now it’s real and their lives are about to change.

 

Ali rubs her partner’s back soothingly in an effort to calm Ashlyn. After a few minutes, their emotional celebration is interrupted by Bear barking at their feet, seemingly sensing their emotions and trying to get in on the love.

 

Ashlyn takes the small dog into her arms and he immediately begins licking at the tears on her cheeks. “You’re gonna be a big brother, buddy,” she says.

 

Ali grins and scratches Bear’s head. “Our little family is about to get bigger.”

 

~

 

They don’t tell anyone at school about Ali’s pregnancy for a few months, leading to rampant speculation. By this point, their relationship is old news among students and staff but when Ali starts wearing flowier than normal clothing around 12 weeks, people begin to talk. No longer does Ali come to work in pencil skirts but rather flowy dresses and pants with loose tops. After two weeks of curious looks from their friends (as well as students and the rest of the staff), Ali and Ashlyn finally break down and decide to tell everyone over the traditional Friday morning coffee, bagels, and donuts in the lounge. Everyone on the staff is more than welcome as the baked good are for everyone but they do take extra special care to ensure that their friends will be there for the announcement so they text them on Thursday evening to make sure.

 

“You ready for this?” Ashlyn asks as she stirs her coffee.

 

“It’s not like we can wait any longer,” Ali laughs, pulling her dress tight over her bump. At only 14 weeks, it’s still small but it’s only getting bigger. Besides, they’re out of the most risky part of the pregnancy and she’s dying to tell everyone their exciting news. Their family already knows, of course, but now it’s finally time to tell their work family.

 

Since they made it sound like a very important meeting, all of their friends show up and pour themselves coffee and grab either a bagel or a donut (or both, in Kelley’s case) and sit around the long table with some of the other teachers that are just there for the Friday morning tradition.

 

Once everyone is settled, Ali gets everyone’s attention. “So Ash and I have some exciting news,” she begins. “We’re having a baby.”

 

No one is overly surprised but their excitement more than makes up for it. After Ali and Ashlyn answer the basic questions like due date and the like, Heather is the first to stand and congratulate them, pulling them both into a massive hug. “I'm so happy for you guys,” she says. “You're gonna make great parents.”

 

After Heather, nearly everyone in the room takes their turn hugging Ali and Ashlyn and giving their congrats so by the time everyone has to separate to start the day, Ali is feeling very loved but a little overwhelmed. She and Heather walk back to the office together and Ali can feel the excitement radiating off of her best friend.

 

“You know, everyone kind of knew something was up but it's still so exciting to hear the news.”

 

“Thanks, HAO, I knew you'd be happy for us,” Ali grins.

 

“So I'm guessing that since you're due in early June that you'll miss both prom and commencements? Not that it's a problem, obviously.”

 

“Uh, I'm not sure yet. I guess it'll depend on if the baby is here yet or just how I'm feeling if I’m still pregnant.”

 

~

 

The baby, a boy they learned at their 20 week appointment, has not arrived by the time prom week rolls around. Though she’s nearly 38 weeks pregnant, Ali still feels good, aided by the fact that she’s stayed pretty fit during her pregnancy. Since she still feels good, she decides that she wants to help chaperone prom which means that Ashlyn will also chaperone prom to be there in case anything happens.

 

“Are you sure you want to go?” Ashlyn questions as they browse the mall for a dress that will fit Ali’s eight and a half month belly. Ali only made the decision to go a few days ago but she’s as stubborn as always and there’s no talking her out of it no matter how much Ashlyn tries.

 

“Yes, I want to go,” Ali says. “This little guy will be here in a few weeks and then I’ll be stuck at home for a while so why not go and spend time with everyone? If I could chaperone with a broken leg, I can certainly chaperone pregnant.”

 

Ashlyn resists the urge to roll her eyes. It’s not about Ali being pregnant, it’s about how far along she is and the knowledge that the baby can come at any time. But it’s a battle she’s not going to win so she decides to drop it. The best she can do is attend prom alongside Ali so she’s there in case something does happen.

 

As has become their tradition whenever they both chaperone a dance, they get ready in separate rooms. Mainly because they like making their working evenings a little more special but also because they both need a lot of time and space to get ready and this prevents them from getting in each other’s way. Though Ashlyn takes the same amount of time (or more) to get ready, she uses less products and styling tools than Ali so she’s often the one that gets ready in one of the guest rooms and bathroom. This time, she’s ready first so she watches TV in the living room as she waits for Ali to make her grand entrance. She’s nearly finished with an entire episode of Chopped when Ali finally emerges from their master suite.

 

“Took you long enough,” Ashlyn teases.

 

“You try getting ready like this,” Ali says. “Your son makes it hard for me to get close enough to the mirror to do my makeup.”

 

Ashlyn wraps her arm around Ali’s waist, hugging her from the side. “Poor you. We should probably just stay home.”

 

“Nice try but I didn’t put all this on to stay home. We’re going.”

 

This year, the prom venue is less than five minutes from their home so they’ve hardly made it through an entire song on the radio before they pull up to the venue. No one really wants Ali to exert herself too much to Heather decides to put her on ticket collecting duty alongside one of the older teachers so they can both sit (until everyone arrives, at least). Ashlyn, meanwhile, helps put the finishing touches on the banquet room and greets the students as they mingle before dinner. Once everyone has arrived, Ali and Barb take their seats at the chaperone table for dinner.

 

Less than ten minutes after sitting down, Ali rushes off to the bathroom. It’s not uncommon at this point in her pregnancy but when she returns to the table only to head back to the bathroom within another ten minutes, Ashlyn begins to suspect something is up. She lets Ali get a bit of a head start before following.

 

“Al?” Ashlyn says as she pushes the door open. She enters the bathroom to find Ali standing at the sink with her eyes closed and a pained expression. Ashlyn is at her side in an instant, gently rubbing Ali’s back. “Practice contractions again?”

 

Ali takes a deep breath and shakes her head. When she opens her eyes, Ashlyn sees that they’re glossy with tears. “Real ones,” Ali breathes.

 

“The baby is coming?” Ashlyn asks. “Holy shit, okay, was that your first contraction? We need to time them. Wait, we should just go to the hospital. The bag is in the car, right?”

 

Ali turns to face her partner and puts her hands on Ashlyn’s shoulder. “I need you to not be mad at me, okay?”

 

“Why would I be mad at you?”

 

“I’ve kind of been in labor for a few hours now,” Ali admits. “Please, please, please don’t be mad.”

 

Ashlyn looks at Ali in confusion. They’ve been together all day and this is the first she’s heard about Ali being in labor. How is it that she didn’t know? But when she really thinks about it, they got ready in different rooms and were only actually together during the short ride here. But none of that explains why Ali didn’t tell her. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks, confusion and a little hurt evident in her voice.

 

“Because I knew you would make us stay home and I really wanted to be here tonight, Ash. I was so excited to spend tonight with our friends. Besides, labor takes hours so I figured we’d be home before we even need to go to the hospital.” When Ashlyn doesn’t say anything for nearly a full minute, Ali’s eyes fill with tears. “You’re mad at me. I’m stupid, I’m so sorry.”

 

Ali starts crying and even though Ashlyn is kind of pissed that Ali kept something like this from her, she can’t help but feel for her partner. She pulls her into as tight of a hug as she can manage with Ali’s belly in the way. “Shhhh, it’s okay. No harm done, right? Let’s just tell everyone what’s going on and head home.”

 

“Can we stay?” Ali asks, sniffling as she looks up into Ashlyn’s eyes. “Please can we stay? I mean, what’s the difference if I’m in labor here or in labor at home? It’s not going to change anything.”

 

Ashlyn knows that she should hold her ground, knows that they should go home and try to get some rest before going to the hospital. But Ali is right, there’s not much of a difference where she’s in labor and as long as they’ll get to the hospital in time, Ashlyn doesn’t really care where they are. She’s not quite sure why Ali is so desperate to stay when they could be in the comfort of their own home but she’s not going to question her too much right now. There are certainly more important things to worry about. She’s just about to agree when Ali is hit with another contraction.

 

“Fuck,” Ali groans, leaning into Ashlyn for support. The contraction lasts more than a full minute and based on the look on Ali’s face, it’s pretty damn strong. When Ali finally relaxes, Ashlyn looks at her in awe.

 

“Jesus, Al, how far apart are they?”

 

Ali looks at her phone, where she set a stopwatch since her last one. “The last few have been about six minutes apart.”

 

“Six minutes?” Ashlyn exclaims. “Ali, that’s… it’s almost time.”

 

“I know, our boy will be here soon,” Ali grins.

 

They don’t have much time at all so Ashlyn takes Ali’s hand and leads her back to their table, where she tells everyone that Ali is in labor. Along with Heather, Becky, Syd, Whit, and Alex are all chaperoning and they’re all absolutely thrilled to hear the news.

 

“You should go home,” Heather says.

 

“That’s what I said,” Ashlyn says.

 

“Nope, we’re staying. For a while, at least. They’re coming pretty quickly now and, honestly, I could use the distraction so I’m not as nervous.”

 

“Crazy woman,” Syd laughs. “I was a total monster when I was in labor with Cash. There’s no way I would’ve been able to be in public.”

 

“Oh, she’s crazy alright,” Ashlyn jokes, earning herself a sharp jab to the ribs courtesy of Ali’s elbow. “I deserved that.”

 

All jokes aside, Ashlyn is incredibly nervous and has a hard time sitting still with the knowledge that their son will be here soon. She’s so antsy that she starts making Ali nervous so Whitney asks Ashlyn to check the hallways with her just to get her moving.

 

“I can’t believe you guys came with Ali in labor like that,” Whitney says as they aimlessly roam the foyer. “I mean, I know you’re both extremely dedicated to your jobs but damn.”

 

“I didn’t know she was in labor until I followed her to the bathroom. She didn’t tell me because she knew I would’ve made her stay home.”

 

“Oh, wow, that sounds like Ali, actually,” Whit laughs. “Not even labor will get in between her and her job.”

 

The walk helps calm Ashlyn’s nerves a bit and there aren’t any students outside of the banquet room so they soon make their way back to find that word has apparently spread that Ali is in labor. All throughout the room, there are curious students looking towards the chaperone table from the dance floor. When Ashlyn’s eyes land on Ali having yet another contraction, she understands why. She rushes to Ali’s side, taking Ali’s hand in her own as she crouches next to Ali’s chair.

 

“I think it’s time,” Ali says when the contraction passes. “That was the second one since you and Whit left.”

 

Ashlyn quickly stands back up and helps Ali stand as well. She gathers their phones from the table, stuffing both of them into her pocket. “Okay, let’s go.”

 

As they get ready to leave, they’re offered well wishes from their friends. They say their goodbyes but don’t linger too long before they’re heading out the door. Once they’re in the car, Ashlyn hands over Ali’s phone.

 

“I already texted my mom and had HAO call the doctor,” Ali says, the end of her sentence nearly lost as another contraction starts.

 

Despite her desire to take care of Ali through her contractions, Ashlyn focuses all her attention on driving to the hospital. Fortunately, Ali and the baby’s bags were in the car but Ashlyn planned on packing a bag for herself as well. She never got around to it, however, so for the moment, she’s stuck in her suit and bowtie.

 

“Coming from a wedding?” the nurse asks as she helps get them settled into their room.

 

“No, prom. I’m a teacher and she’s a vice principal and we were part of the chaperoning group this year because someone refused to stay home,” Ashlyn explains. The nurse smiles and nods as she leaves the room so Ali can change into her hospital gown.

 

“I look ridiculous being here in a suit,” Ashlyn grumbles, helping Ali change out of her dress and into the flimsy hospital gown.

 

“You look beautiful and you’ll make a wonderful first impression,” Ali grins, eliciting a laugh from Ashlyn. “He’s gonna know right away that his mama cleans up well.”

 

“You are such a goof,” Ashlyn laughs. She moves behind Ali to tie the gown at her neck, unable to resist a little tap on Ali’s exposed ass.

 

“Watch it,” Ali giggles.

 

“I can’t believe we’re having a baby tonight,” Ashlyn says as she helps Ali onto the bed.

 

“I can definitely believe it. Nine months of getting bigger by the second, the nausea, the back aches, having to pee all the time, and these contractions really help it sink in.”

 

“You’ve been such a trooper. I am more in love with you every single day and I know you’re going to rock this delivery.”

 

Ali takes Ashlyn’s hand and presses a gentle kiss to it. “Thank you for taking this step with me. Thank you for loving me and for being the best partner a girl could ask for.”

 

There are so many things Ashlyn wants to say. A simple thank you couldn’t even begin to cover just how grateful she is that Ali loves her and is about to give her the most precious gift. She could never put into words just how much she loves Ali or their son but she knows that she’ll spend the rest of her life trying to show them how important they are to her. She’s just about to respond when their doctor enters the room to check on Ali.

 

Though it’s her first baby and first labors usually take longer, Ali is actually progressing pretty quickly and before they know it, the doctor instructs Ali to push. Deb is supposed to stop at their house to gather a few changes of clothes for Ashlyn but she hasn’t arrived yet (neither has Ashlyn’s family) so she’s stuck wearing her dress pants, shirt, and shoes, though she did shed her suit jacket and bowtie.

 

Baby boy Krieger Harris arrives just after midnight. Both Ali and Ashlyn have done a fairly good job keeping their emotions in check but as soon as they see him and hear his little cries for the first time, they both lose it and start crying themselves.

 

“You did it,” Ashlyn breathes, wiping tears from her eyes as the nurses clean the baby. She leans down to kiss Ali’s forehead, lingering just a bit despite the beads of sweat. “I’m so proud of you.”

 

As soon as the baby is wiped down and Ashlyn helps cut the cord, the nurses wrap him in a blanket and hand him to his proud Mama. Though not a carbon copy of Ali, he’s definitely her son and Ashlyn sees so much of the woman she loves in his face. Soon, the last step of delivery is finished and the new family is left alone to enjoy their time together.

 

“There’s our boy,” Ali says, gently stroking the baby’s cheek with her thumb.

 

“You made a damn cute kid, Al,” Ashlyn grins.

 

Ali turns to Ashlyn, a massive smile on her face. “We’re moms.”

 

“Want to get some skin to skin action going?” Ashlyn asks. They’ve read a lot about childbirth the last few weeks and the importance of skin to skin contact soon after birth was one of the things nearly every book and article mentioned.

 

Ali nods so Ashlyn takes the baby and unwraps him from his swaddle while Ali unties her hospital gown at the neck and pulls it down, exposing her chest. When Ali is settles, Ashlyn carefully lays the baby tummy down on Ali and covers his back with his blanket so he doesn’t get cold. Lying on his mother’s chest, the baby opens his eyes, much to Ali and Ashlyn’s delight.

 

“Hi, baby,” Ashlyn coos as Ali bounces him a little. “What’s your name, huh?” Though they have a few potential names in mind, they wanted to wait to meet him first so they can make sure the name fits.

 

Ali looks down at the baby and studies what she can of his face while Ashlyn pulls their name list up on her phone. “I still really like Finley,” Ali offers.

 

“What did that mean again?”

 

“‘Fair haired hero.’ He obviously doesn’t have fair hair but I do like that it means hero,” Ali says.

 

Ashlyn looks at the baby’s face and says the name aloud a few times. It definitely suits him so she looks down at her phone to see what middle names they liked paired with Finley. One of them, Amias, stands out more than others. “How about Finley Amias?”

 

“Amias means ‘loved’, right?” When Ashlyn nods, Ali smiles and looks back down at the baby on her chest. “Finley Amias Krieger Harris, our little loved hero.”

 

After a few more minutes alone as a family, Ashlyn heads out to the waiting room to greet their families and is surprised to find not only her parents, grandparents, and Deb, but also most of their friends from work, some of whom are still in their prom clothes.

 

“He’s here and he’s absolutely beautiful. Both he and Ali are doing really well.”

 

Because he was born after visiting hours ended, they are allowed to have a visitors tonight, though they and the hospital staff want to make it quick. There will be plenty of time for visits in the coming days and weeks but for now, it’s best to let everyone visit for just a few minutes. The excited grandparents (sans Ali’s dad who has yet to make it from DC) and great-grandparents get to visit first before Ashlyn quickly brings their friends back in small groups to get a peek at the baby and say hi to Ali. In all, it takes just over an hour before it’s just Ali, Ashlyn, and baby Finley once again.

 

It’s been a long, exciting day for the little family so almost as soon as Ashlyn changes into the joggers and t shirt Deb brought for her, they’re all ready for some sleep. Ali nurses Finley for a bit and Ashlyn gives him a fresh diaper before she finally puts him in the bassinet. “Goodnight, love,” Ashlyn says, gently rubbing his cheek. With Finn in his bed for the night, she crosses the room to Ali. “Night, other love,” she says, kissing Ali.

 

“Night, Mama,” Ali grins.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last epilogue I have finished for this universe (though I have a few more ideas!) because I got distracted writing something else. 
> 
> Here's a little hint: it was inspired by them going to the John Mayer concert a few days ago. With that said, it's pretty angsty so brace yourselves a little. But the good thing is that I structured it similarly to 'toothbrush to the bicycle tire' with mini chapters all contained in a 10k+ oneshot so you'll be able to read it all at once and not have to wait for the angst to end ;) I don't listen to much of his music but my favorite song of his happens to be sad af soooo ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Feel free to try to guess the song it's based on! I have a busy weekend so it probably won't go up until early next week but you never know, if someone guesses, I could be swayed to try for earlier. To narrow things down a little, it's from the 2000s. 
> 
> Anyway, what did you think of Ali's antics in this one? Were you surprised I had them start their family before they got married?


	18. adventure

 

Two months after Finn’s second birthday, Ali and Ashlyn add to the family once again. Other than it taking a little longer to get pregnant this time, it’s a fairly easy pregnancy, much like the previous one. There’s the normal morning sickness and exhaustion that comes with pregnancy and raising a toddler but other than that, Ali feels really, really good. 

 

Like the pregnancy itself, baby Nathan Davis Krieger Harris is almost an exact copy of his older brother, right down to his middle name meaning ‘beloved’ (though they’ll soon learn that the brothers have very different personalities and temperaments). This particular name didn’t come nearly as easily as Finley’s but they were adamant about finding a middle name that meant ‘loved’, just like his big brother’s middle name. Ali finally came up with this particular combination nearly five hours after the baby was born and it took some convincing but Ashlyn finally agreed that it feels natural and fits their son. 

 

As they get settled at home with their boys, Ali curls up on the couch with Ashlyn and cradles a sleeping baby Nate in her arms. “This is it, you know. No more until I have a ring,” she teases. 

 

“Is that so?” Ashlyn asks, quirking an eyebrow. “I thought we were gonna go for three or four?” They’ve always spoken about having at least three kids and even if that weren’t the case, they both will want to try for a girl at some point so she can’t fathom Ali actually being serious. 

 

“Guess you gotta put a ring on it,” Ali grins. “I’ve pushed two babies out of my vagina for you, I think the least you can do is marry me.” 

 

“You might be onto something there.” 

 

“Plus, just think about our sweet boys as the ring bearers. We’ll get them suits to match yours and everything.” 

 

Ashlyn looks over to where Finn is curled up at the other end of the couch with a blanket as he drifts off to a much needed nap and then to Nate sleeping peacefully in Ali’s arms, imagining just how adorable they’d be dressed for the wedding. Even if she didn’t already plan on proposing soon (which she does), that would be enough to seal the deal. Ashlyn intends to propose soon and really, the only reason she didn’t do it before Nathan arrived is because Ali’s fingers were too swollen to wear the engagement ring Ashlyn purchased. Now that Nate is here, it’s just a matter of time before their long overdue engagement. 

 

~

 

When Ashlyn first considers how she’s going to propose, she thinks that she’ll surprise Ali with a romantic trip somewhere nearby (neither would want to leave their boys for more than a night) but the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that she wants Finn and Nate to be part of it. Their boys are their entire life and it wouldn’t be right to propose without them there. 

 

Before the proposal, Ashlyn enlists the help of Heather who gladly suggests to Ali that they go get a massage and their nails done together which will leave Ashlyn the time to get everything ready for the big moment. With a toddler and a four month old at home, Ali is in desperate need of some pampering and Ashlyn knows that Ali will want her nails to look good when they send everyone a picture of her ring. 

 

Ali doesn’t suspect anything. 

 

She loves her early morning pampering and when she returns home, she’s planning on normal Saturday with her partner and their boys. Instead of walking into their normal chaos, however, the house is as spotless and quiet as it’s been in years. “Hello?” Ali calls out, coming through the kitchen and into the impeccably clean living room. Just when she wonders if maybe Ash took the boys for a walk, she hears Finn’s voice coming from the master bedroom and an adult (Ashlyn, she assumes) shushing him. Thinking that Nate must be sleeping for Ashlyn to shush Finn like that, Ali opens the door and slips into the room as quietly as possible. 

 

“Hi, honey,” Deb grins. She’s holding Nate in her arms, feeding him a bottle while Finn jumps off of the bed and runs to greet Ali. As always, faithful Bear is right at his side. 

 

“Mommy,” Finn exclaims. 

 

Ali smiles as she takes the excited toddler into her arms and stands back up. “Mom, I didn’t know you were coming today. God, you should’ve told me so I could’ve been home sooner. Where’s Ash?” 

 

“Secret,” Finn whispers. 

 

Ali raises her eyebrows. “Oh, yeah? Is she playing hide and seek?” Finn loves hide and seek so, naturally, she assumes his response is because she walked in on his favorite game and that Ashlyn is hiding somewhere in the house. 

 

“Not quite,” Deb replies. She reaches behind her back and produces a small envelope. “Here, Finny, give this to Mommy.” 

 

Finn wriggles out of his mom’s arm and Ali watches in amusement as she crosses the room to where Deb is sitting against the headboard. As soon as the envelope is in his grasp, he runs back to Ali who crouches down to his level. “Want to help me open it?” she asks. 

 

Finn nods excitedly and helps Ali tear into the envelope, nearly ripping its contents in the process. 

 

Inside, Ali finds a small black and white chevron card. Curious, she opens the card to find Ashlyn’s handwriting. 

 

_ Hey, baby.  _

 

_ Hope you enjoyed getting pampered with Heather. You deserve it for all you do for me and our family.  _

 

By this point, Ali already has a good idea of what is happening and the rest of Ashlyn’s note only confirms what she already knows. 

 

_ I love you and our boys more than anything in the world and when I thought about how to do this, it felt right to include them. Finn is pretty excited about this little adventure so here we go: _

 

_ I started this thing in our bedroom because it’s one of my favorite places on Earth (and not for the reason you’re thinking so get your mind out of the gutter, woman. Our children and your mom are helping). I chose our bedroom because it’s one place where we can wholly be ourselves. When we first started dating, it was a place of refuge for us away from worry that we were going to be caught. Even still, our bedroom is a safe, sacred place for us. We can talk about whatever we want and bare our souls and I know that no matter what, anything I say is safe with you.  _

 

_ Our bedroom is where we said ‘I love you’ for the first time and where we decided to start our family so it felt like the best place to start the rest of this crazy journey.  _

 

_ Now, I would have loved to put these in chronological order but I know how difficult it is to get two kids in and out of the house so I’m going to try to minimize that for you. Since you already know this night will end with new jewelry, go to one of the first presents I ever gave you. (Hint: ever gave you, not ever bought you).  _

 

_ Love, Ashlyn.  _

 

Even without the hint, Ali knows exactly what to look for. “Want to help me find Mama’s next card, Finny?” Ali asks. 

 

Finn nods excitedly, bouncing up and down a little. 

 

Ali grins and takes Nate from her mom. He doesn’t understand what’s going on, of course, but she wants to include him nonetheless. She props Nate on her hip and leads Finn into the bathroom, easily locating the jewelry dish on the counter. Sure enough, there’s a small white envelope sitting on top of it. “Look, buddy,” she says, pointing Finn in the right direction. 

 

“I found it!” Finn exclaims. 

 

“You sure did,” Ali grins. She reaches for the envelope and quickly tears into it. 

 

_ Ali, _

 

_ That first Christmas was pretty incredible, wasn’t it? We didn’t say it yet but I was already madly in love with you and I know you felt it too. Back then, I thought it couldn’t get better. I couldn’t imagine ever being happier or more content with life but boy was I wrong.  _

 

_ Every year with you just gets better and better. You killed it with your gifts that year (we should definitely try some of those bath bombs again) but since then, you’ve blessed me with two much better gifts. For your next clue, find the swaddle blankets we brought both boys home with.  _

 

_ Love, Ash.  _

 

Like the jewelry dish, Ali immediately knows where to go. Before Ashlyn’s grandmother passed away a few years ago, she made baby blankets for all of her grand children to use for their children (should they have any). When Finn arrived, it was important to them to bring him home in the blanket his great-grandmother made so they could feel her presence. She would’ve loved Finley and it was their way of connecting him to his great-grandmother. Once they arrived home, they carefully stored the blanket away for safekeeping to pass down if and when he has children. Ashlyn’s grandma knew of their plans to have a few kids so when Nathan arrived, Ali and Ashlyn used the second of three blankets for him and stored it with his big brother’s. 

 

“I think the next one is in Nate’s room,” Ali says. 

 

Finn leads the way to Nate’s room with Ali carrying the baby behind him. Deb decides to join on this one so she follows along too and records part of the happenings on her phone. 

 

The blankets in question are in a storage bag on the top shelf in Nate’s closet (right next to the storage bag with the yet unused blanket). There doesn’t seem to be a letter at first and Ali wonders if Ashlyn forgot to actually put one with the blankets. She reaches up and feels along the shelf, finally locating the envelope and pulling it down. “This one is about you and your brother,” Ali says, preparing to read Ashlyn’s words aloud to their sons. 

 

_ Ali, _

 

_ No words could ever express how grateful I am that you carried and gave birth to our two wonderful boys. They don’t share my DNA but as soon as I saw them, I knew they were part of me all along. All it took was one look at them and I knew that while I didn’t carry them in my body, I always carried them in my heart.  _

 

_ Being your partner in motherhood is the craziest, most stressful, most wonderful, beautiful, and rewarding adventure. Finley is kind, brave, and perfectly unpredictable. Sometimes he reminds me so much of you that it’s almost painful how much I love you both. I am so, so excited to see what Nate’s personality is like as he grows and I can only hope that he’s inherited some of those traits as well. I have a feeling he’s going to cause just as much trouble as his big brother.  _

 

_ Seeing you as a mother is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed. You are so patient and loving and I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else.  _

 

_ None of this would’ve been possible without our first leap of faith so take your mom and the boys to our first date spot for your next clue.  _

 

_ Ash.  _

 

Until this point, Ali has held her emotions together pretty well but reading what Ashlyn wrote about their family pushes Ali to happy tears and she takes a moment to collect herself before they move onto the next destination. Deb takes Nate from her and kisses her forehead before carefully drying Ali’s tears with her thumb. “I know we’ve known this for years but you found a good one, sweetie. I couldn’t imagine a better person for you to do life with.” 

 

Finn, who is completely uninterested in what his mom and grandma are talking about grabs at the hem of Ali’s dress and tugs it a little. “Come on.” 

 

Ali and Deb take the boys and the diaper bag to the car to continue this little adventure. Initially, Ali thinks that they should go to the movie theater thirty minutes away but then she remembers one very, very important caveat about that day. The day of their first date began with lunch at a local spot and when they agreed that they were going to take the risk and date, they also agreed to take pressure off of the movie date by calling it their second. So instead of going to the movies, Ali drives to the restaurant where they met for lunch that day. 

 

This clue is also a little tricky because Ali isn’t looking for a certain object to find the next clue. She has the destination, yes, but not a specific object to locate. 

 

“Want me to just run in?” Ali questions as Deb parks the car. 

 

“Nope. Ash said to bring the boys with us. Lunch is on her.” 

 

“So she’s here?” Ali asks. She looks around the parking lot, a little excited, nervous and, if she’s honest, disappointed. She’s never been one for a public proposal and she didn’t think Ashlyn would plan something like that so it’s more than a little surprising. 

 

“Don’t worry,” Deb assures. “This isn’t our final stop.” 

 

Ali takes a deep breath and nods. Of course Ashlyn knows better than that. She gets out of the car and unstraps Nathan while Deb helps Finn out of his car seat. Once inside, Ali gives the hostess her name, eliciting a big smile from the young woman. She leads them to the exact table Ali and Ashlyn sat at seven years ago and when she hands them their menus, she produces a white envelope just like all the previous ones. 

 

_ My love,  _

 

_ Can you believe it’s almost been seven years? Come to think of it, I could’ve waited another month and done this on our anniversary but I guess it’s too late now. Besides, I don’t want to wait any longer.  _

 

_ Looking back, it seems kind of silly that we were so afraid of the district finding out about us. But I always knew you were worth the risk. I fell for you harder and faster than I ever fell for anyone and I still fall more in love with you every single day. Everyday I fall in love with your ambition, your humor, and your heart. I always knew you are beautiful on the outside and the more I got to know you, the more I learned that you are just as beautiful on the inside.  _

 

_ I fell for you the first time I saw you smile and the first time I made you laugh. I fell for you the first time we kissed and the first time we stayed up all night talking about our hopes for the future. I fall for you in the glow of the morning and the dark of the night. I fall for you every time I watch you with our kids and every time I see pieces of you in them (which is always). _

 

_ I’ll never stop falling for you.  _

 

_ Enjoy your meal and when you’re done, go to where it all began.  _

 

_ Ash. _

 

Ali reads Ashlyn’s card twice before finally looking at her mom with tears in her eyes. “She’s trying to kill me, I swear.” 

 

“She’s been working so hard on this,” Deb says. “It’s been hard for her to find the time to put it together because if you’re not home then she’s watching the kids by herself which didn’t leave her much time to work but she pulled it off. She wanted to do something fun for these little guys.”

 

“Are you having fun on our scavenger hunt, buddy?” Ali asks, looking at Finn in the highchair next to her while bouncing Nate on her lap. 

 

“Yep,” Finn nods. 

 

“Is Mommy going to get a pretty ring tonight?” Ali asks. 

 

“Yep.” 

 

Nate starts getting fussy after they order so Ali leaves Finn with her mom to change Nate’s diaper. At just four months, Nate’s personality is just starting to show and it seems as if they have another rambunctious one on their hands. Sometimes, she can’t quite believe that they already have a two and a half year old and a four month old. It seems like just yesterday they were dreaming about having a family one day and now they have two wonderful sons who keep them on their toes every single day. 

 

Once she has Nate’s diaper changed, Ali playfully rubs his belly before snapping his onesie closed. “Are you ready for your mommies to actually get married? I know I am.” Nate grins at the attention until Ali finally scoops him off of the changing table, peppering his face with kisses. 

 

Ali is understandably distracted throughout lunch. She can’t stop thinking about the impending proposal and what her ring will look like. She hopes there aren’t too many more stops because as much as she’s loving the adventure with her boys and mom, she’s excited to finally see Ashlyn. 

 

When they’re finished with lunch, Ali reads over the latest card one more time and knows that the school is their next stop. Ali and Deb once again unload the kids together and make their way to the front door where Heather is waiting for them. 

 

“You little sneak,” Ali says as she hugs her best friend. “I can’t believe you’re in on this.”

 

Heather shrugs. “Someone had to get you out of the house this morning and open up the school for you.” She turns to open the door and allows Ali, Deb, and the kids inside. She follows behind, only stepping ahead to unlock her office for the group. 

 

When Heather opens the office door, Ali leads the way inside with Nate on her hip. She makes her way to the desk where there’s a sealed white envelope with her name on it. 

 

_ Ali,  _

 

_ Who would’ve known that when I showed up to get my new classroom ready that I would meet the love of my life and mother of my children? I certainly didn’t know it yet but I did know that you captivated me from the start. Back then, I never would have thought I would have the honor to know you as I do now and I am so lucky to be the one you chose.  _

 

_ There are no words to express just how much I love you and our family. From the first time we met, I knew you were someone I wanted to have in my life. You make me better and there is no one I would rather live this life with. Things haven’t always been easy but all the hard times are worth it because we have each other and we have our family.  _

 

_ Our story started right here in this room. I thought I loved my job before but now that it’s given me you and our boys, I am forever indebted to this career, to this school. You and the boys (including Bear--he’s sleeping next me as I write this and I don’t want to leave him out) are the best parts of my life and I am so excited to see how our family grows over the years. But according to you, none of that can happen until I put a ring on it so for your next stop, go to where we shared our first kiss.  _

 

_ All my love, Ash. _

 

By now, Ali is getting a little antsy and nervous so when they say goodbye to Heather, she has Deb drive back to the house. When they arrive, Ali carries Nate and holds Finn’s hand as they make their way into the house. Though they normally come in through the garage, she decides to use the front door on this occasion, just like she and Ashlyn did after the driver dropped them off following Kelley and Alex’s homecoming afterparty seven years ago. 

 

As soon as she opens the front door, there’s Ashlyn waiting for her in one of her best suits. There are dozens of candles lit throughout the room (out of Finn’s reach, of course), lending to the ambiance and romance of the whole thing.

 

“Hi, beautiful,” Ashlyn greets with a smile. With Ali in front of her, she pulls the ring box out of her pocket and drops down on one knee. “Ali, I love you more every single day. Will you marry me?” 

 

“Of course I will,” Ali grins. She lets go of Finn’s hand for a moment, allowing Ashlyn to slip the ring onto her finger. When the ring is in place, Ashlyn stands to kiss Ali deeply. They bask in the moment as a family, celebrating their engagement with their boys and Deb. 

 

“So I know this was mostly a formality at this point but holy s-h-i-t I was nervous,” Ashlyn says. 

 

“Babe, at this point you could’ve just said ‘hey, let’s get married’ when we both have messy hair and are covered in Nate’s spit up and I would’ve said yes. You had nothing to worry about.” 

 

“You know what, I take it back. I’m gonna propose next time you fart me out of bed and see if that works,” Ashlyn says, eliciting an eye roll from Ali. 

 

“So you’re gonna make me take the ring off for what? Five hours before you give it back? I had black bean soup at the restaurant today.”

 

“And oatmeal for breakfast,” Ashlyn says. “Oh, God, you’re gonna kill me. I’ll need a gas mask.” 

 

“Good thing you’re stuck with me now. Don’t worry, we’ll get you the best gas mask money can buy. Come to think of it, I should’ve been smarter about my lunch choice today considering I already knew I was gonna get this,” Ali says, holding her left hand in the air and wiggling her ring finger. 

 

Ashlyn quirks an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? And why would that be, Ms. Krieger?”  

 

Ali glances to where her mom is playing with Finn and Nate on the playmat a few feet away. She’s so focused on her grandkids that she’s not paying any attention to her daughter and future daughter-in-law on the couch. “Oh, you know, for when we have our private engagement celebration.” 

 

“Now we’re talking.” Ashlyn curls up against her fianceé and takes Ali’s left hand, studying how the ring looks on Ali’s finger. She stumbled upon and purchased the ring a few months before Nate arrived and wanted to give it to Ali immediately but Ali’s fingers were too swollen and she didn’t want to cause any sort of emotional meltdown for her pregnant partner. She started planning more seriously once the baby arrives but they were so busy with a two year old and a newborn that she didn’t really have time to put anything together. After six months, it’s nice for Ashlyn to finally see the ring on Ali’s finger instead of tucked away in her bedside drawer. 

 

“The boys are gonna be so cute dressed up for the wedding,” Ali says. 

 

“Oh, yeah? What about me?” 

 

Ali grins and cups Ashlyn’s cheek in her hand. “You’ll be the most beautiful. Well, most beautiful after me, of course.” 

 

“You’re supposed to let me tell you that you’ll be the most beautiful,” Ashlyn says, playfully rolling her eyes. 

 

“Just saving you the trouble.” She kisses Ashlyn quickly and curls up in her fianceé’s arms. “Are you so excited to plan a wedding?” 

 

“Oh, I just can’t wait. Let me guess, you already have a 200 person guest list in mind?”

 

“Maybe a few years ago I would’ve but honestly, I would be happy having something with just you and our babies.” 

 

“Hey, don’t forget your mother,” Deb says from her spot on the floor. 

 

“If you would’ve let me finish, you would know that you, Kyle, and dad are the rest of my list. And HAO, obviously. So basically just immediate family and really close friends.”

 

“Which means half the staff,” Ashlyn says, 

 

“Basically, yeah. But I know that whatever we decide it’ll be amazing because I’ll finally get to marry you.” 

 

“And I’ll get to spend some time with my grandbabies while you girls take a honeymoon,” Deb says. 

 

“Yeah, we’ll see how you feel after you spend a week alone with these little monsters,” Ashlyn says. “Lord knows we can use a break.” 

 

~

 

As with every big event in their lives, summer is the best time for their wedding so two weeks after school gets out the following summer, Ali and Ashlyn marry in front of their closest friends and family. The guest list ended up being larger than they initially planned but they did manage to keep it under 75 which they consider a win. 

 

“It’s about damn time,” Ashlyn says as they share their first dance as a married couple. 

 

“Yeah, seven and a half years and two kids later,” Ali says, grinning at her wife. “Are you happy?” 

 

“Happier than I could’ve ever imagined.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't started my other ideas for this fic yet but hopefully I'll find the motivation soon. I do have an update for the Playing House universe though so that'll probably be the next one updated. 
> 
> As always thanks for reading :)


	19. possessive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new teacher gets a little too friendly with Ashlyn

 

 

Ashlyn has always been a social person, someone who can talk to almost anyone about any topic. So, naturally, when the school gets a new teacher who will occupy the room across from hers, she makes it a point to introduce herself while they ready their rooms for the year. This will be Ashlyn’s fifth year at the school so it takes only twenty minutes to set everything up to her preference. When she’s done, she decides to go across the hall to greet the new teacher and help with anything she may need.

 

She gently knocks on the open door, announcing her presence to the new teacher. The young woman turns around from where she’s placing succulent plants on her windowsill and looks at Ashlyn with a friendly smile. “Come on in,” she says.

 

She’s attractive, there’s no doubt about that, and while the fact registers in Ashlyn’s mind, it’s not something she focuses on. Nearing five years together, she still falls deeper in love with Ali every day, especially now that they’re trying to have a baby. She knows what she has at home and while she recognizes this woman’s attractiveness, it doesn’t spark anything within her.

 

“You must be my fellow algebra I teacher,” Ashlyn says. “I’m Ashlyn, my room is right across the hall.”

 

“I’m Mariah. It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“Is there anything you need help with?” Ashlyn asks. She looks around the room, finding that Mariah has put some personal touches all around the room but hasn’t set up the student desks in any sort of configuration yet so it comes as no surprise when Mariah asks if she’ll help get the desks in rows. “So is this your first year teaching?”

 

“No, this’ll be my sixth,” Mariah says. “My old district downsized a little and here I am. How long have you been here?”

 

“This will be my fifth year here so if you need someone to show you around or tell you which teachers are the best to hang out with then I’m your girl.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Mariah laughs.

 

As they get the desk situated, Ashlyn gives Mariah a run down of the school and what to expect. She knows from experience that every school and district is different so the more knowledge she can share with her new coworker, the easier Mariah’s transition will be. They don’t delve into their personal lives at all and instead focus on questions Mariah has about the school and whatever helpful tips Ashlyn can think of.

 

Together, they finish everything in under a half an hour and say their goodbyes with promises to see each other the next day at the end of summer party.

 

~

 

The next morning is fairly busy for Ali and Ashlyn as Ali has a hair appointment scheduled and Ashlyn has to go on a run to the grocery store to stock up for their first few weeks of school before the end of summer party at Heather’s. She gets everything on their list and promptly puts it away when she gets home, only remembering that she forgot the most important item once everything else is put away.

 

She forgot the ovulation tests.

 

With Ali nearing that point in her cycle, they used the last test the previous night so when Ashlyn went to the store, it was supposed to be her top priority. It was so important that when Ali told her to add it to the list on her phone, she insisted that she didn’t need to because there was no way she would forget. As it happened, though, it’s such an unusual purchase for them that without it on the list, it completely slipped her mind.

 

“Fuck,” she mutters as she hangs their reusable bags back up in the pantry. When she turns back around, Ali is coming towards her dressed and ready to go to Heather's.

 

“Hey, do you have those tests? We have to hurry; HAO asked if we could stop and get ice.”

 

Ashlyn cringes. “Your hair looks beautiful--I love the length,” she says, hoping to avoid too much of a disaster.

 

“You forgot the tests?” Ali asks, face falling in disappointment.

 

Ashlyn nods, almost as upset with herself as Ali is. Having a baby is important to both of them and she can’t believe she forgot the ovulation tests any more than Ali can. “I’m sorry, you know our list was longer than usual and I just forgot.”

 

“That’s why I told you to add it to the list,” Ali says. “But did you listen? Of course you didn’t.”

 

“I said I’m sorry, okay? We can stop on the way and you can take a test while I get the ice.”

 

“I’m not taking an ovulation test in a public bathroom. Sorry, I’m just not doing that.”

 

“So take it at Heather and Dave’s,” Ashlyn suggests.

 

“And do what with it? Throw it away where they’ll see it or put it in my purse when I’m done?”

 

“Fine, then we’ll come home and you can take it and then we’ll leave and get ice.”

 

Ali rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. “Then we’ll be late.”

 

Ashlyn takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself before things get out of control. She knows this isn’t just about the forgotten test. With just a few days before Ali is supposed to ovulate, Ashlyn knows that her partner is stressed and worried that the insemination won’t work. Ali can’t control whether it works or not but she can control taking the ovulation tests on a certain time schedule so she’s clinging to the little control they do have in the situation.

 

“I don’t know what else to tell you,” Ashlyn says. “Heather will understand if we’re a few minutes late but let’s go now so we can get there as soon as possible. You don’t even have to come, actually, I’ll just go and bring it home to you.”

 

“No, I better go with you in case you forget again. Apparently none of this is important to you as it is to me so I should go with you.”

 

Ashlyn wants to snap back but she knows it’ll just make the situation worse so she doesn’t say anything and leads the way to her car. Neither woman says anything as they drive or as they make their purchase but Ashlyn assumes that once they get home, Ali will calm somewhat. They’ve taken care of the problem and they haven’t missed Ali’s peak ovulation window so Ashlyn thinks that the issue is over with but Ali continues giving her the cold shoulder even as they leave for Heather’s.

 

“If she’s this crazy before she’s pregnant…” Ashlyn mumbles as she gets out at the gas station to get a few bags of ice.

 

Even with the two extra stops, they still arrive at Heather’s house before anyone else but even this does nothing to change Ali’s attitude towards Ashlyn.

 

As people arrive, Ali hardly even looks Ashlyn’s direction, let alone speak to her. Ashlyn knows Ali so as the party goes on, she gives her partner the space she needs, knowing that they’ll talk through whatever it is when they get home.

 

~

 

Ali knows she’s being ridiculous, she really does. But with the stress of actually getting pregnant solely on her, she gets more and more anxious the closer she gets to her peak fertility days. She wants to get pregnant more than anything and when Ashlyn forgot the ovulation tests after she reminded her so many times, it made it feel as if this isn’t as important to Ashlyn as it is to her. That’s not true, of course, but in the heat of the moment, that’s how it made Ali feel.

 

She’s still a little miffed at Heather’s party but it’s certainly not something to hash out in front of their friends so she maintains her distance. That is, until the new teacher appears to get a little too comfortable with Ashlyn.

 

The new math teacher, Mariah, according to Heather, is exceptionally beautiful. Her dark, curly hair just grazes her shoulders and her chestnut complexion has a natural glow to it. In any other situation, Ali would be in awe of her. But with Mariah’s hand on Ashlyn’s arm as she laughs about something Ashlyn said, Ali feels little more than anger and distrust.

 

She excuses herself from Heather and makes her way over to where Ashlyn and Mariah are talking. “Hey, baby,” she greets, sliding her arm around Ashlyn’s waist and pulling her in for a kiss that’s a little less chaste than they would usually share when surrounded by coworkers. “Who’s your friend?” She asks, batting her eyes at Ashlyn. She stands close to Ashlyn’s side, and loops her arm through Ashlyn’s and tightly grips her bicep, the exact same one Mariah brushed in her fit of laughter just minutes prior.

 

“Oh, so you’re talking to me again?” Ashlyn questions, an eyebrow raised at Ali’s antics.

 

“I was never not talking to you,” Ali says. “I was just cranky.” She stands on her toes enough to pull Ashlyn in for another kiss for good measure.

 

“Whatever you say, babe,” Ashlyn laughs. “Anyway, this is Mariah, she’s my new fellow algebra I teacher. Her room is right across from mine so I helped her set up a little yesterday. Mariah, this is Ali, my partner and the vice principal at Oakwood.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Ali,” Mariah says.

 

“You too,” Ali replies, reaching out to shake Mariah’s hand. She quickly turns her attention back to Ashlyn, playing things up a little as she runs a hand through the hair at the nape of Ashlyn’s neck. “Have I ever told you how much I love this shirt on you?”

 

“About a thousand times,” Ashlyn replies. She shoots Mariah an apologetic glance as Ali gently scratches the back of her head in a way that usually either drives both of them wild or makes them sleepy depending on their moods. Now, however, she does her best to ignore her partner’s gentle ministrations so they don’t make Mariah too uncomfortable. They all know exactly what Ali is doing but instead of walking away in embarrassment, Mariah forges ahead.

 

“So you’re the vice principal, Ali? How long have you been at Oakwood?”

 

Seeing that Mariah isn’t going away anytime soon, Ali reluctantly stops what she’s doing and places her hand back on Ashlyn’s bicep as she makes small talk with the new teacher.

 

Ashlyn doesn’t say much as Ali and Mariah talk, instead choosing to listen. After a minute of back and forth, she has to stifle a laugh at how overly polite Ali is. She knows better than anyone just how possessive Ali is so it comes as no surprise that she rushed over the moment it seemed like Mariah got too friendly. She’s laying it on thick now and Ashlyn feels for her new coworker. Mariah seems more than capable of fending for herself though and there’s nothing Ashlyn can do but stand by and listen.

 

After a few minutes of small talk, Mariah excuses herself to get a drink and to introduce herself to other teachers, leaving Ali and Ashlyn alone, though other groups of teachers and staff are chatting nearby, all spread around Heather’s deck and yard.

 

“Relax,” Ashlyn says before Ali can even open her mouth. “We were just shooting the shit.”

 

“Sure seemed like she was flirting with you touching your arm every chance she got.”

 

“What can I say? I have good arms,” Ashlyn says in an attempt to lighten the mood. She playfully flexes, eliciting an eye roll from Ali, though Ashlyn doesn't miss how Ali’s breath catches a little.

 

“I know you have good arms. You have a good everything.”

 

“Wait, are you scolding me or complimenting me?” Ashlyn laughs.

 

“Neither. I just didn’t like how she was acting. I mean, who gets that flirty with a coworker they’ve just met? One that is in a serious relationship no less.”

 

Ashlyn stifles another laugh and leads Ali inside so they can freshen their drinks and have a little privacy. “Hate to break it to you but you were way more flirty than that when we first met and you were my boss.”

 

Ali crosses her arms over her chest and levels Ashlyn with a look that makes Ashlyn regret opening her mouth. “You’re such a pain in the ass sometimes. Besides, that doesn’t excuse that she did that with me just a few feet away. You weren’t in a relationship when we met.”

 

“To be fair, she didn’t know about you and before you get upset, we haven’t talked about our personal lives at all and you’ve been mad and haven’t come near me all afternoon. I answered her questions about the school yesterday and that was about it and just now we were just making small talk and she got a little flirty.”

 

“I don’t like that,” Ali says.

 

“I know, baby,” Ashlyn replies. She pulls Ali into a hug and gently rubs her lower back. “I know you like for the entire world to know I’m yours and for everyone to stay a good ten feet away from me at all times and to not look directly at me like I’m an eclipse or something but I can’t help that I’m so beautiful, you know? She was just drawn to me like you were when we first met but unlucky for her, I’m already madly in love with the best woman in the world and I don’t need to entertain any of that.”

 

“Oh, you’re just so attractive that no one can resist you, huh?” Ali teases.

 

“Yep,” Ashlyn grins. “You couldn’t resist. Hell, you still can’t even after five years.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Keep testing me and I’ll find a way to resist you.”

 

“Whatever you say, love,” Ashlyn says. With her lower back pressed against the edge of the granite countertop, she leans down to kiss Ali and holds her close, her hands gravitating towards Ali’s ass. “You just tried to resist me because I forgot the tests and you lasted about three hours, so.”

 

“It’s not that I couldn’t resist it was that I needed her to know that you’re spoken for.” She moves from Ashlyn’s arms to take a sip of her wine while Ashlyn takes a drink of her beer. “I’m sorry I was kind of an asshole earlier. I know it wasn’t that big of a deal to stop at the store again but I--”

 

Ashlyn gently kisses Ali on the lips, cutting off what was sure to be a long winded explanation. “Babe, I get it. I know you’re stressed and that was one small thing we actually had control over. That’s why I was giving you your space because I knew you’d come around eventually and we’d be fine.”

 

“How is it you always know what I’m thinking?”

 

Ashlyn shrugs, grinning a little. “Because I know you. Because we’ve been together almost five years and live and work together.”

 

“Are you as nervous as I am?”

 

“Absolutely. But we’ll control the things we can control and if it doesn’t work this time we’ll keep trying until it does work. It’ll all be okay.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too,” Ashlyn grins.

 

Ashlyn takes her drink and rejoins the party outside while Ali decides to go to the bathroom while she’s already inside. When she returns to the kitchen to get her drink and join everyone out back, Mariah is there refilling her own drink.

 

“Hey, Ali, I just want you to know that I had no idea Ashlyn is in a relationship and none of that will happen again. I’m kind of forward with my feelings and she was so nice to me yesterday and today but now that I know, I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about.”

 

As much as Ali wants to hold a grudge, she can tell that Mariah’s apology is genuine. Even if it wasn’t, she trusts Ashlyn implicitly so she has nothing to worry about either way. “I understand and I appreciate that. It wasn’t that big of a deal I was just already in a bit of a mood and it didn’t help that you’re one of the most gorgeous people I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Thank you, I think,” Mariah laughs. “What was the mood about, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

Ali internally debates for a moment whether she should tell her the full truth or gloss over what happened. Only her mom and Ashlyn’s mom know their current plans but although she and Mariah just met and got off to a rocky start, she feels she can trust her to keep their secret. “Well don’t tell anyone because no one knows but Ash and I are trying to have a baby and I told her no less than ten times to get ovulation tests while she was at the store but she forgot. It wasn’t that big of a deal but I was stressed about making it here on time to help Heather prepare for the party and then we had to make an extra trip to the store and go back home for a few minutes. One of those stupid little spats that happen when you’ve been together as long as we have, you know?” She pauses, taking a long, slow sip of her wine. “But, hey, we worked things out a little earlier than we might have if it weren’t for you so thanks,” she laughs.

 

“Glad to be of service,” Mariah says. “So did you two meet at Oakwood?”

 

Ali nods as she takes another sip of wine. She launches into an abridged version of the beginning of the relationship, including how she was principal and changed jobs with Heather so she and Ashlyn could both stay at the same school. Mariah is as easy to talk to as she is beautiful and even if Ali wanted to, she can’t dislike her. Before they know it, Ashlyn comes looking for them to rejoin everyone outside.

 

“Everything good?” Ashlyn asks as she steps through the sliding door.

 

“Of course,” Ali grins. “Just getting to know each other a little. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of each other since her room is across from yours and you’ll have the same lunch period.”  

 

“Gotcha,” Ashlyn nods. “Well, Dave is about to take the boat out if you two want to join.”

 

The trio makes their way back outside together where they join Dave, Kelley, Crystal, Syd, and Serv (and Cassius) for a quick trip out on the boat. Once on the boat, Mariah takes the seat between Kelley and Crystal and chats with them while Ali and Ashlyn take two seats together next to Syd, Serv, and Cassius.

 

“Were you playing nice?” Ashlyn questions as Ali cuddles into her side with her feet curled on the extra space on the bench seat.

 

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool, actually.”

 

“I could’ve told you that,” Ashlyn laughs. “What did you two talk about?”

 

“She apologized and said that she didn’t know you were in a relationship and that it won’t happen again now that she knows. I told her not to worry about it and that I was already kind of in a mood so she asked what it was about and I told her what happened earlier. Then we just got to know each other a little.”

 

“Well I’m glad you talked,” Ashlyn says. She looks down a few seats to where Cash is laughing on Syd’s lap as he gets splashed with a little water coming up the side of the boat. “Crazy to think we’ll probably have one of those this time next year,” she muses.

 

Ali turns to look at their honorary nephew as well, a smile on her face as she imagines the possibility that they’ll have their own baby by the next end of summer party. “I can’t wait. But only if I don’t drive you crazy first, right? I’m sure this was just a little preview of how tense I’ll be when I’m pregnant and hormonal.”

 

“Oh, I think I can handle it,” Ashlyn playfully sighs. “I still love you even when you’re crazy.”

 

“Make sure you include that in your vows when we get married one day,” Ali laughs, meeting Ashlyn’s gaze.

 

“No spoilers,” Ashlyn says, drawing Ali in for a kiss.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because we all love a little possessive Ali, right?


End file.
